


A Legacy Begun

by ReclessAbandon



Category: Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Cal Kestis, Daddy Cal Kestis, F/M, Family, Force-Sensitive Child, Grown up Cal Kestis, Jedi, Jedi Offspring, Jedi family, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Rebel Alliance, Rebellion, Rebels, Scruffy Cal Kestis, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, fic idea, fic request, prompt, settling down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24198454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReclessAbandon/pseuds/ReclessAbandon
Summary: After a long time of running and fighting, you and Cal decided to finally settle down after all these years to raise a family. However, it was never a life of peace whilst the shadow of the Empire looms over your heads.
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 44





	1. What Comes Next

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Tumblr, this fic contains: 2 different prompts given by 2 different anons in my ask box, and a fic idea that I had during the time I was writing and publishing "The Haunt of Redemption". It's a kind of collab, so to speak. Either way, I hope you enjoy the story!

“Where to now?” the young man asked to everyone.

The crew exchanged glances. Cere stepped in.

“It’s up to you to decide, Cal,”

“I think we should just take a breather,”

Cal charted a course back to Bogano. All this action has taken a great toll on everyone. During the jump to hyperspace, the crew dispersed—back to their own activities—while you plopped down on the couch, Cal sat next to you, barely allowing an inch of space between you, and your little adopted Bogling peeks under the lounge’s center table. It chittered but you quickly put a finger against your lips, hoping that the animal would understand your gesture. You and Cal shared a secretive chuckle, glancing at the cockpit to see if Greez had heard.

“I don’t think he heard,” Cal whispered.

“Good,”

You link arms with Cal and rested your head against his shoulder, he planted a kiss on your forehead as he nestled himself by your side. Your free hand extended to the Holocron—now reduced to shards—and a single crystalline nugget gravitated to your fingers; raising it up so it aligns with the overhead light, the prism glowed yellow as you turned it in different angles, the specks of impurity within the crystal appeared like glitters.

While you gaze at the remains of the relic, mesmerized, Cal started to shift in his seat. He rested his head on your lap and buried his face against your abdomen. You chuckle at his gesture, but you were totally endeared, your eyes wandered to the cauterized part of his jumpsuit’s armor while running his fingers through his hair.

“How’s your rib?” you purred.

“The sting’s still there, but bearable,”

“I think I have something for that back in the abode,”

“I leave it to you, doc,” he cooed.

His hand reached for your cheek, ever so lovingly he caressed the curve of your skin while his eyes trace every inch of your face; you spot the involuntary upward curls of his lips as you nuzzled your nose against his palm, your tired Jedi drifted off to sleep in the middle of the journey.

An hour later, Cal awakes by the rumble of the Mantis landing on Bogano’s soil.

“We’re here,” you announce softly.

“Five more minutes,” he groaned, tossing to his right so he can wrap his arms around you and buried his face into your abdomen again.

“Honey, we’re home,” you tussled his hair, trying to get him up. “You can take a nap when we get to the abode.”

Cal was childishly uncooperative, continuously coaxing him to get up because your legs are starting to go numb from his weight.

“Alright, alright, I’m up!” he exerted, sitting up from his comfortable headrest that is your lap and finding the strength to plant the balls of his feet back on the floor.

It was midday when you arrived in Bogano, the shorter way back to the abode was hopping from one mesa to the other where the roofs of the huts dotted the land. Upon entering, you’ve already reached the second floor of the abode and turned to the archway tunnel that connects the abode itself to the second level of the bedroom.

The living quarters was dim but BD-1 scampered off of Cal’s shoulder to switch on the power. White lights glowed to life and illuminated the entire bedroom, the redhead staggered to the bed, plopped himself and proceeded to lie flat on his back against the mattress. His hands lazily searched for the straps of his armor, unfastening the buckles, undoing the buttons of the shirt underneath the leather chestplate, and finally unzipping the top of his jacket.

When all of his upper clothing was shed, Cal felt liberated. A sight of relief escaped his lungs while you gathered a Bacta gauze and tape. You brushed aside the left flap of his jacket, revealing the stab wound—blood had dried and curdled into a maroon crust around the flesh and the body water had pooled on top of the damaged skin.

“Just a few more inches up and he’d pierced your heart,”

He takes your hand and places it above his heart.

“Still here, but I could’ve sworn you’ve taken it already,”

You rolled your eyes, scoffed laughingly, “Smooth.”

A crisp, pastel green square covered the circular wound, secured with medical tape. You briskly caressed Cal’s jaw and kissed his forehead.

“Go get some rest,” you cooed. “You’ve earned it, my love.”

He nodded obediently, continuing his nap from the Mantis as his eyelids drooped and his features softened. You watched him drift off again.

Evening fell upon Bogano. Cal had the longest yet nicest slumber he’s ever had in years. He wakes up and finds you absent in the bedchamber, he stepped out of the abode, climbing back up to the mesa’s surface. He spotted you lying down on the grass, wobbling your leg leisurely as you stared at the deep blue blanket of sky.

Cal joined you on the cool bed of grass, putting a flower he had plucked before lying flat on his back next to you.

“Something on your mind?” Cal began.

“Not really. I just missed the night sky here, it’s all so peaceful,” you sighed. “Just a few weeks ago, we were hopping between planets—so much has happened in every one we’ve been to—and all of that to save the next generation of Jedi. It’s kinda poetic.”

Cal had no response to that, although he almost had the exact same thing in mind. Another thing entered his head, though he wasn’t ready to say it yet. He decided it was a talk for another time, allowing himself to enjoy the present with you.

“What do you think happens now, Cal?” you curiously inquired.

“I don’t know, honestly,”

The pair of young Jedi exchanged glances, trading short, awkward smiles, both speaking an expression that painted an uncertainty of what the future holds for them. Fingers interlocked with one another as their eyes glanced at the sky, as if hoping the stars had the answer for them.

* * *

A year and a half has passed since Cal Kestis destroyed Eno Cordova’s holocron.

The Mantis crew eventually found another refuge: the remote planet of Cerinda, located in the Mid Rim where the hand of the Empire almost stretches thin. The rich countryside of the planet attracted everyone—including Greez to some extent, given that he was after the seeds and sources of food that can help step up his culinary game.

You and Cal have made a hobby of strolling across the spaciousness of the land every now and then to get some fresh air. Like today, the two of you sat in the sea of grass—the meadows filled your eyes with the brightest green, sweet and cool water sourced from the waterfalls and rivers irrigated the soil, and the weather was simply divine.

“Your stubble’s growing out” you pointed.

Cal massaged his jaw, the hairs pricked his fingertips as he ran them across his face.

“Should I get rid of it?”

You shake your head, you couldn’t repress the grin forming in your lips, “No, I’d rather you keep it.”

In the corner of your eye, the waterfall’s mist became a prism against the sunlight, spreading the rays of light to where you and Cal sat. The two of you approached the basin, your fingers glided across the water, forming ripples that expanded and then panned towards the waterfall itself. You and Cal waded on its shore, stepping closer until the water has reached the middle of your boots.

You started a water war when you playfully splashed Cal, nearly wetting his hair, he retaliated when he used _both_ hands to scoop water and throw it to you.

“You’ll never get me!” you laughed, running away from the pond before Cal could have a chance to pour a handful of water on your head.

“Not if I can help it!” he cheered back, chasing you with the water running out drop by drop.

When he got close enough, water rained over you—wetting your clothes especially on your back and shoulders—and he gleefully snatched you up; wrapping his arms around your waist, lifting you inches above the ground, and you spinning you around as both of you filled the air with laughter.

He lost balance when he has spun enough times to stumble back on the ground. You’re still laughing out whatever’s left of you as the grass tickled your skin. Cal crawled and stood on fours over you, he cupped your jaw and closed in to kiss you—it was tender and luscious, when he pulled away, you found his sweet smile greeting you back.

The fresh breeze has picked up, the two of you continued to lounge in the fragrant grass whose length reached your breasts when sitting up; every once in a while, Cal would find himself staring at you and thinking about the question that popped into his mind a year ago in Bogano. Back then, he didn’t think that that exact moment was the best time to say it; now at the present, he still wasn’t so sure, but he figured that it’d be best to test the waters—now that things seemed to have toned down.

You turned to see Cal looking at you, but his eyes appeared to be in deep thought.

“What is it, Cal?”

Your soft-toned question somehow jolted him back into reality, realizing too late that he has zoned out too much just thinking about the entire topic. He began stammering, trying to string together the right words that he has been mentally practicing a few times now.

“Listen, I’ve meaning to ask you something—ever since Bogano, actually, but I just didn’t think it was the right time for it, and I really didn’t think that I would find myself asking it,”

The tinge of seriousness in his tone suddenly made your stomach sink, but you waited for him to finish. He knelt on one knee, level to your sitting height, and you could’ve sworn you felt your heart skip a beat and a shiver run down your spine under a sunny afternoon.

“[y/n] [l/n], will you give me the biggest honor to marry me?”

At the very moment, your heart gave out what ought to be the _biggest_ beat in your entire lifetime. Little did you know that at the top of the hill, Cere was standing there, surveying the land in search of the pair of you—she had secretly witnessed Cal proposing to you and you giving him the best answer you could have ever given him. The woman smiled to herself, somewhat getting secondhand joy from what she had witnessed.

“Yes,” you gasped. Overjoyed, you repeated your answer in a medley of crying and laughing. “YES, CAL KESTIS, YES!!”

Cal huffed out the tension that he has been choking himself with, he was unable to control the upward curls that were growing along his lips. He threw himself towards you, pulling you in abruptly, thanking you in the form of kisses and bursting in laughter.

“Really?”

“Yes, to the ends of the galaxy, yes!”

The joy in his heart was so great that he’s simply acting out of impulse. He snatched you up once more, his hold tighter than the last, and buried his face on the crook of your neck as he slightly spun you again. You latched onto him so tight that for a moment, time seemed to have stopped ticking, and the next moment felt like cloud nine.

The two of you returned to the ship, hand in hand, the first one to greet you was Cere. A smirk on her face suggested that she may or may not know what had just transpired.

“Well, you two seem awfully happy,”

“Come inside with us, we want everyone to know,” Cal beckoned.

Cere chuckled but only within her earshot, she followed the two of you into the ship.

Out of excitement, BD-1 scampered off of Cal’s shoulder to the center of the table in the lounge and started chirping a string of notes at everyone.

“Don’t spoil the surprise, BD!” Cal cooed.

“What did BD say?” Merrin asked, on behalf of everybody in the ship.

There was brief pause, Cal turned to you, wordlessly giving you the honors to bear the news. You took a deep breath.

“I’m engaged!” you declared.

The ship was filled with gasps and hushed exclamations. Merrin’s jaw dropped, she put away the extra plants that she had harvested from the terrarium, rushing to both of you in a hug. Cere laughed in a celebratory joy and Greez swooned, witnessing him being genuinely affectionate and supportive—which he rarely does.

“So, when’s the wedding?” Greez beamed.

“In three days, we’d like to keep it simple,” Cal replied.

The Nightsister braced you on the shoulders, “We _definitely_ have to find you a dress!”


	2. The Wedding

Two days before the big day, Merrin woke up early—perhaps the earliest you’ve seen her up—and she told you to wash up and get dressed. She dragged you along to the town that sat on the valley, a trek away from where the Mantis sat in a forest clearing.

It is clear that she was excited for you and Cal, and wanted to be of help to you in time for your celebration.

“Have you ever attended a wedding, Merrin?”

“I can’t say I have, but that’s what makes me excited—I get to see one for the first time, and it’s yours, no less!”

Her enthusiasm was new to you, normally, when she’s curious about something—beyond the knowledge that she has from living in Dathomir—she would only inquire, question after question until her mind has been sated. But this display of hers was unique—there was a child-like glee in her as she tugged your hand in hers, leading you into the town with the objective of the perfect dress.

“Don’t the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers in Dathomir have a sort of union?”

“We’re not a celebratory kind, [y/n]. Once a Nightsister finds her mate in the Nightbrother village, that is that, apparently,”

“I see,”

The city, known as Reema, was a sizable settlement whose business districts and residential areas mingled together—as well as the peoples that resided there. It was a town abundant in textiles, exotic foods, as well as a sturdy, construction material whose raw state originates from a bluish-green mineral called Zakora found in the planet’s oceans and deeper reefs—giving the citizens’ homes a decorative, mosaic-like effect.

You made it clear that you want everything to be simple yet perfect. Merrin already understood that you were not one for grandeur. There was one street in the business district that had a whole row of stores that sold fabrics and pre-made clothes. Some of the shops had a dress or two displayed behind their glass window; but you two girls skipped most of them since they didn’t fit your taste or they priced the clothes unreasonably… or both.

“I think we’ve swept the entire street in search of your dress, [y/n],”

“It’s okay, there’s no need to rush. We can take a break if you like, Merrin,”

“Of course,” the Nightsister’s eyes trailed over your shoulder. “There’s some shade over there.”

“Perfect! Come on,” you take her hand and bring her along to the bench underneath a tree.

After taking a breather, you and Merrin agreed to have one last sweep before heading home. Hopefully by then, you would have found what to wear before heading back to the Mantis. The two girls walked together through the street, passing by the same shops but stopping to look at the ones you’ve skipped.

Merrin gave a slight tug of your hand when she stopped to see a dress hop that stood out from the rest.

“This looks promising,” the Nightsister commented.

“Come on, no harm in trying,” you added.

Perhaps, it might be the smallest atelier you’ve seen in this street. The person who greeted you was a young woman, you’re under the impression that she was an apprentice seamstress, but upon examining the studio, you realize that she worked alone.

She was startled by the sound of her door chimes ringing upon your entrance, she fumbled about on her work desk and she stomped through piles of fabric that pelted the floor.

“H-Hello,” she stammered shyly, embarrassed by the mess. It seemed that she wasn’t expecting any visitors.

“Hi there,” you warmly greeted.

Merrin looked around the place, “Do you work alone?”

“Yes, m-my name is Milana,”

“Hello, Milana, is it alright with you if we take a look around your shop?”

“Please, by all means, miss,”

You flashed a friendly smile as you thanked her, she managed to repay the gesture and awkwardly leaned against the edge of her worktable. She constantly fiddled with a strip of cut fabric, anxiously watching these two ladies who just entered her shop. The young girl’s head was racked with questions that she answered herself in her mind.

“For what occasion, may I ask?”

“A wedding,” Merrin answered, then bobbed her head to you. “For her.”

The young lady’s eyes lit up, suddenly enthused, and she tried to break out of her awkward demeanor.

“Oh! I have a section specifically for that,” she chirped. “Please, follow me here.”

Her studio had another room, neater and less cluttered than the main space, two racks hugged the walls and another work desk sat by the window of the room—but a dress on the works occupied the table instead of drawings and sketches. She helped you out in deciding the designs by asking you what kind of style you wanted.

“Just something simple, Milana, please. I don’t want to go through puffy skirts and wide sleeves anymore!” you joked.

The young designer had an array of dresses that nearly fitted your taste—pertaining to your preference of straight skirts, slim sleeves, and minimalist designs.

Eventually, after scouring every dress she has out in the racks, Milana spotted you pulling out a particular white dress—its transparent neckline gave the illusion that white leaves, sown and expertly shaped with beads, crawled up to a lady’s bosom, though it lacked sleeves; and the skirt is made out of billowy tulle. You instantly fell in love with it.

“May I?” you smiled.

“Oh, of course, miss!”

Merrin helped you in fastening the back of the dress, minutes later, you come out of the fitting room—which was only a nook covered by drapes—and the two girls gasped upon your appearance. You walked up to the front of the mirror, turning around to get a look of yourself in different angles, you even attempted to do a little twirl so the skirt flared.

“Aww [y/n],” Merrin fawned.

“This is it!” you giggled.

“It’s perfect, Miss [y/n]! Simply immaculate!”

When you announced in the studio room that you’re taking it, the young designer ran towards a closet that sat beside the mirror. She pulled out one of the drawers and produced a small box.

“Originally, when I made that dress, it had to go with this,” she flipped the lid open, revealing a silver headpiece. The designer explains that it should be worn on the back of the head and no particular hairstyle is required for it to be securely worn on the bride’s hair.

While Milana explained, Merrin already knew what to do with your hair on the wedding day. Milana also provided a selection of shoes for you, admitting that you were used to boots for most of your life, you decided to play it safe and chose the cream-colored heels that were only two inches high.

You couldn’t thank the young designer enough, you insisted paying a little extra for her help and she had no other choice but to accept—although she did it with great gratitude and bade well wishes to you for your wedding.

—–

Today’s the day.

You wake up with a rapid heartbeat and clammy palms.

The wedding happens in the afternoon, Cal had found the perfect spot where the ceremony will be held. It was customary that bride and groom don’t meet on the day itself, thus, both of you slept in separate rooms—you slept in the same bunker as Merrin and Cere last night while Cal remained in the original quarters.

For the rest of the day, Merrin and Cere delivered food and drink to you and would allow you to go around the ship—granted that Cal was absent in the Mantis—and this went on until three hours prior to the ceremony.

“How are you feeling, [y/n]?” Cere asked, placing her hand on your shoulder.

“Nervous,” you awkwardly chuckled.

Cal had already got himself cleaned, his red hair slicked back while his growing stubble remained undisturbed, and donned his crisp black ensemble piece by piece: starting off with a long-sleeved tunic over a short, black leather vest, and finishing it off with black pants and boots.

“How do I look, BD?”

“Beee! Trill, chirp!”

“Yeah? Thanks, buddy,” he chuckled. “Well, here goes.”

He marched out of his quarters, passing by the bathroom door and heard the water running, he heard you humming and giggling in between the song. He smiled to himself and imagined what you’d look like when you come marching towards him.

You finished washing yourself, returned to the shared room and Merrin delivered your entire outfit. The Nightsister assisted you once again in fitting the dress, only now did you realize that the dressed emphasized your curves, you put the shoes on while seated and she began working on your hair. Merrin’s slender fingers created an elaborate braid that crowned the back of your head, she secretly used a little bit of her magick to make sultry waves on the remaining length of your hair, and for the finishing touch, the crown of silver leaves nestled above the braid. You also splurged on some makeup for this day: you drew winged lines on your eyelids, painted your lips to a soft pink, and brushed your cheeks with powder and blush.

“There, you’re ready,” Cere cooed, examining you from head to toe and resting her fingers underneath your chin.

Merrin stood by Cere’s side to take a look at you as well, she smiled, triumphant and proud of her masterpiece on the bride.

“You’re so beautiful, [y/n], the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” the Nightsister fawned.

"Thank you so much," you squeaked, grateful of the help you've received from the two ladies.

“We’ll see you there, okay?”

“Okay, Cere,” you breathed.

They embraced you and kissed your cheek one by one before leaving the room. Five minutes later, you finally walk out of the ship. Your bouquet of flowers rested on the lounge table. The entry ramp was left open and you take the deepest breath you’ve ever taken in your life.

“Here it goes, [y/n],”

You take the first step out of the ship, you were so nervous at the moment that you could feel your footing unstable—even though you practiced walking on the ramp with the shoes on for a whole day—but you managed to get to flat ground. You were surprised to find one of the male partisans back in Kashyyyk. It was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. He was to deliver you to the aisle, to your husband-to-be.

“Cere said it was a surprise,” the partisan added.

You gripped your bouquet and continued your march with the partisan guiding you, following the path showered with flower petals of all colors.

Cal stood by the lake, awaiting for your entrance; Merrin, BD-1, Greez, and the rest of the witnesses stood at the side of the path waiting for you as well. When a splash of white caught Cal’s eye, and you appeared in the arch that the trees formed, he almost stopped breathing. His heart leapt at the sight of you—dressed like a demure goddess, the length of your hair spilled over your shoulders, and your face naturally glowed with the sunset as you smiled while walking the aisle.

“Wow…” he gasped.

Cal found you more beautiful than the sunset behind him. Your eyes spanned across the lake’s clearing and found some familiar faces like Mari Kosan and a few partisans you’ve personally befriended. In the gradually shrinking distance, you and Cal traded shy smiles. It felt like your legs were moving on their own, but you didn’t resist them. You knew that you were walking into a newfound life to share with the man you love.

His tears instantly welled up and he had little to no time to fight them back, and then his heart pounded faster and faster for every step you took. You finally stood a mere inch away from him. He bit his lip as he smiled, you caressed his cheek and then a single teardrop escaped his eye.

“Darling…” you whispered, running your thumb across his cheek to wipe away the tear.

He offered you his arm and you linked it with yours. The both of you turned to face Cere who presided the ceremony.

“Here I stand before two individuals, whose bond was forged, grown, and then strengthened by time and by the Force. They have willed to nurture that bond through this ceremony of marriage and for the times to come,”

Cal couldn’t help but steal a glance at you, the gesture was returned when you turned to smile back at him as Cere stated her opening remarks.

“May the words of their vows express their unbreakable connection that run as deep as the Force itself.” She cued.

The bride and groom faced each other.

Cal reached for your hand and you willingly took it as he recited his vows.

“Lo, behold my Maiden, for she will cast away my fears that reside in the Dark. She is my torch that will lead me away from the shadows of doubt, to whom I will forever hold on to. To you, [y/n], my beloved wife, I commend my heart, life, and soul—all this as the Force wills it.”

Next, you reached for his free hand to which he gladly took as you said your vows.

“Lo, behold my Knight, for he will combat the haunts of the Dark. My shield to conceal me from the evils, to whom I will always find shelter in thy arms. To you, Cal, my husband, I commend my life, heart, and my soul—all this as the Force wills it.”

Finally, Cere took a step back and ignited what used to be Trilla’s lightsaber—instead of a bright red beam, a blade as white as bleach emerged from the hilt—and she instructed both of you to kneel.

“By the will of the Force, I dub thee, [y/n] Kestis—wife of Cal Kestis.” She hovered the saber above your shoulders and then concluded her dubbing by hovering the blade over your head.

She then repeats the gesture when it was Cal’s turn, “By the will of the Force, I dub thee, Cal Kestis—husband of [y/n] Kestis. All this as the Force wills it, and so shall it be for your joined days until the end.”

After her oration, you and your husband stood up.

“You may kiss the bride.” Cere declared.

Cal cupped your cheeks, pulled you in for the sweetest, most tender kiss of your life, his stubble tickled your face but you didn’t care; you wrapped your arms around his neck, pressing your lips against him as you smiled in between kisses, and applause and cheers filled the forest. When he pulled away, your new husband snuck another kiss on the tip of your nose, warranting a tiny chuckle from you.

“I love you,” he whispered to you.

“I love you too,”

The wedding was immediately followed by a banquet celebration courtesy of Greez. The Lateron really cooked up a storm when he served the slow-cooked Nerf roast to the table, a Jogan berry cheesecake, and Phillak steaks. Pouring two glasses of wine, the newlyweds linked arms with glasses in their hands.

“Bottoms up!” you and Cal said in unison as you drank the wine from each other’s glasses, chugging down the slightly strong liquor and fighting off the bitter taste.

Your guests laughed and applauded once both of you finished your wine. Evening had washed over Cerinda, the moonlight’s reflection rippled in the lake and fireflies dotted the space like starlight while you and Cal perform your first dance as husband and wife.

“To the newlyweds!” Mari Kosan proposed a toast, raising her glass and everyone followed suit.

They lightly tapped their glasses, urging the two of you to kiss, Cal was the first to cave in. When he spun you in his hand, he pulled you in closer to him so that his lips meet yours once more. Applause filled your ears once again, both of you could feel each other smiling in the middle of the kiss.

Your fingers raked his hair and then your hand trailed to his jaw, the prickly hairs of his stubble brushed roughly against your nails.

“This is the best day of my life,” Cal cooed.

“Here’s to forever?”

“Forever and ever, my wife, until the galaxy ends.”


	3. The Bond That Ran Deep

Four days have passed since the wedding.

You and Cal come back to the ship devoid of the crew’s presence. You surveyed the room, puzzled, and you turn to your husband, expecting an answer.

“What is it?”

“The ship’s empty,”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Cal purred.

Your husband continued with the charade even though you’re practically seeing through it. It was a battle against your furrowed eyebrows and arms crossed together versus his shiny, green puppy eyes. The latter was winning quite well.

“Did you put a Jedi mind trick on the three of them, Cal?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” he cooed. “Ahh, that’s not the important part.”

Cal swept away the hair covering your nape, goosebumps pelted your skin when you felt the hairs of his stubble brushing against your shoulder, his hand crawled all over your tummy until his arm coiled around your waist, reeling you in and feeling his erection brushing against your ass—you bite your bottom lip, concealing a sultry smile.

He undid the zipper of your jacket until he’s stripped you off of it, revealing the tank top that you wore underneath while nibbling your earlobe.

He’s now just one layer away.

Cal’s knuckles stroked your creamy skin in a fluid motion, he could almost count the goosebumps that riddled your arms and he felt the heat growing underneath your skin. The strap of your top slipped off, it was an invitation for him—his lips followed the line of your shoulder, biting your flesh in between while keeping you pinned against his waist.

The length of his fingers intruded your pants, a warm, wetness was pooling at the center when he prodded at your crotch. There was a secret, satisfied smile curling along his lips.

“Oh, too easy, aren’t we?” your husband purred when he felt you slightly buckling.

“It’s because you’re teasing me…” you moaned, avoiding to glance at him to conceal the flush of color in your cheeks.

He pressed you flat against the closed door, you wetted the same fingers he slipped into you and he returned them into your pants. You bobbed your head to side, instinctively hoisting your thigh to give him better access, moaning as he nudged his fingers inward and feel you juices dribble down to his fingers.

He cupped your chin as he dipped his tongue in your mouth to explore your taste. His kisses grew greedier as you gingerly tugged a fistful of his hair, you sighed within the tiny spaces of seconds when he pulls his lips away from yours.

You grab him by the scruff of his shirt and pushed him to the couch, slouched and submissive, he held his breath while watching you unbuckle your belt and pull down your pants. A smirk played along the line of his mouth as he drew the curve of your thighs and hips with his eyes.

You climbed up on his lap and sat on his erection.

“Greez is gonna be mad if we do it on the couch,” your husband whispered, flashing his smug, playful face at you.

“Then let’s try not to make a big mess out of it,” you seductively chuckled.

Your hands curled along the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, then tossing it to the floor. Your hand crawled upward, passing by the tightened muscles on his abdomen that rose and fell with every breath; you leaned closer, his back arched when the warmth of your tongue met his ivory skin—tracing along the groove of his pecs. A moan rumbled in his throat, hissing as he exhaled through clenched teeth.

Soft sighs escaped his lips for every kiss that you planted on each of his scars: you tenderly suckled the one that joined his neck and jaw, you playfully stayed a few seconds longer on his nose bridge, then the tiny nick on his eyebrow—he grew needier and needier as you took your time. Finally, you tenderly suckled the bottom of his lip where the little slash blended with the pink hue. He secured you with his hand gingerly bracing your neck while you swirled your tongue inside his mouth.

Your fingers combed his hair again, grasping a clump of his hair to gently tug his head back to riddle him with love bites. Teeth gently gnawing on the flesh of his chest and shoulders, you felt his body burn with desire and his outward sighs fanned the flames rather than extinguish it.

“Please, [y/n]…” he sighed, tilting his head back willingly as you brushed your lips against his chin.

“Please what?”

“Just let… Let me have you,” he begged. “I just want you so bad.”

Cal felt his wife inching away from him. When he jerked his head back in front, he found you still sitting on his lap and watched you take off your top. Your breasts bounced, he gazed fondly at the scars riddling your abdomen, arms and sides. His eyes traced your entire glory—from the curves of your thighs to your endearingly bashful face; aroused, he bit his lip at you as he clutched your hand to pull you in.

You motioned towards him, returning to the same closeness seconds ago, kneeling over his lap as he buried his lips at the fullness of your breasts. His tongue flicked your hardened nipple and gently rubbed it between his teeth.

Cal mimicked you and nibbled the spots where your scars are, nipping at your flesh and covering the scars with love bites. You mewl at the wet sensation of his mouth, the dips in your abdomen tensed as his warm breath blew over your skin—you were so taken by surprise when he ran his tongue over your core that an involuntary moan escaped your mouth and his ears pricked up at the sound.

“R-Ride me, love,” Cal pleaded.

Eventually, he pulled his pants lower and his cock sprang out—stiff and throbbing. His hands were big enough to cover your entire waist as you lowered yourself into his length, at the same time you threw your head back and an involuntary squeal rung from your mouth when you gasped, overwhelmed by the girth.

Your body flared when his length entered you, your cries filled every corner of the empty Mantis, you rode your husband like a wild bull, clutching onto his broad shoulders. It was a satisfying sight to behold for Cal: watching his wife melt in passion as she sank her hips deeper into him, listening to her purring and her trembling voice as she gasped his name.

“That’s right, princess,” he growled. “Scream my name!”

Hasty hands groped the roundness of your ass while you thrusted back and forth, for each push and pull his fingers dug into your creamy thighs, nearly bruising you; your walls gave way to his rigid erection, your energy slowly ebbed as you felt the tip of his cock kissing your weak spot within.

This time, it was his turn to pull your hair—and you gladly welcomed it—your head tilted back for him to cover your bust with more hickeys, his tongue continued to slither in circles around your nipples before softly biting at them.

You played around with the rhythm, swaying in a slow pace until you try to go faster and faster—sinking deeper into your husband’s cock as you raised yourself and thrusted yourself back down. You listened to his breath hopelessly hitching as you caressed his jaw.

“[y/n], I…” he gulped. “It’s coming!”

Cal abruptly clutched your hips as he gasped, fingers digging into your tender flesh by the second as if he felt gravity leaving his body. Hot cum filled you to the brim, your thighs buckled together as you felt his sweet release welling up inside you. He weakly chuckled as he caught his breath, blinking away the stars dancing behind his eyes, his arms snaked around your waist, and buried his face into your bosom.

Slowly, he hoisted both himself and you while you locked your legs around his waist. He kicked away his pants until they were off and carried you to the bedroom. Playful giggles hummed in the space between you—husband and wife traded coy, suggestive smiles as Cal spirited you away into the solitude of your bedroom.

“You’re still going for it?!” you squeaked, latching onto him as he walked.

“I’m game if you are,” he touched foreheads with you, the tips of yours noses brushing against each other. “Are you tired, sweetie?”

“I actually wanted to cuddle,” you coyly smirked and bit your lip. “In our naked glory.”

“Cuddling in our naked glory it is then,”

Your husband carefully settled you down on the bed and lied by your side. You rested your cheek on his bicep, you placed your hand over heart—his raging heartbeat pounded through his rib, watching his skin throb for every rise and fall of his breathing. His fingers danced over the dips of your sides, blindly finding the curves and contours of your body as he stared at the ceiling of the ship—recalling the sensations that crawled in his skin and the sounds that sang in his ears.

He felt the light nuzzling of your face against his right chest, he slightly angled his face to find you sleeping like a baby. Cal smiles to himself, his heart fluttering with the same joy that he had when you said yes to marrying him; he pulls up the blanket, covering you and himself from the waist down. He takes your little hand into his, sliding in his fingers into the spaces, intertwining them as he kissed your forehead before he, too, drifted to sleep.


	4. Untimely Blessing

The weather was nice in Cerinda. Cal had been practicing with a self-made obstacle course in the forest, west of the lake where your wedding was held; meanwhile, you decided to take a breather by your wedding venue. You almost hated to admit that you couldn’t walk for perhaps a day and a half after that little private time you had in the Mantis with your husband.

About three weeks have already passed after that.

And for those three weeks, there was this feeling swirling in the pit of your stomach. Cal had noticed you craving for a lot of sweets—especially Jogan berries and space waffles—and you yourself felt sluggish, so you decided to sit by the sidelines of the training course.

While he had physical training, you meditated by the lake’s shore where it was tranquil. The peace helped you in getting into focus.

Your skin suddenly crawled in a good way, even though you were taken aback, you kept your eyes closed trying to keep yourself concentrated; but you ended up reminiscing how Cal’s lips trailed along your body, how his hands wandered and sank into your flesh. The feeling of his lips suckling at the exact same spots where he left his love bites jolted your nerves—your hand rubbed across your neck, chest, and shoulder and then crawled downward to your abdomen. You chuckled to yourself as the memories replayed in your head, struggling to remain focused.

“BD-1, over here!” Cal’s distant voice rang among the trees, but that didn’t distract you enough.

Suddenly, something was bubbling in your stomach and you could feel it rising to your throat each second. Your eyelids shot up and you fumbled onto fours, crawling away to anywhere until your entire body gave way, and allowed yourself to retch behind a tree trunk.

You coughed and spat out the bile, you clumsily crawled towards the edge of the lake, scooping a handful of water to your mouth to wash off the sour acidity that lingered in your cheeks. You did this for a couple of times until the taste was truly gone.

“Oh my…” you gasped, crawling away from the spot where you had your little accident and lay flat on the grass.

Your hand hesitated to crawl downward, to your lower abdomen just below your navel; your heart pounded with mixed emotions—you can’t pinpoint if you’re excited, nervous, or completely taken by surprise. But you’re primarily the latter, you just needed a second emotion to balance it out.

“Could it be…?” you mumbled.

You took a deep breath before your hand slithered below your navel, calming your heart of the eagerness—just to avoid breaking it if it wasn’t the case—and when your whole palm padded against your lower abdomen…

You felt it.

A tiny kick.

A little pulse.

Your heart leapt. You gasped—supposedly a laugh, but you were overtaken by emotion—your fingers rubbed across your tummy again.

There it is again!

“Aww…” you fawned, on the verge of happy tears.

Cal came out of the trees’ trail, spotting you lying down on the grass with your hand on your stomach. He bobbed his head to the side, quizzically looking at you wiping away a tear while standing at a distance.

“[y/n]?” he called to you, kneeling by your side on the grass.

Your attention shifted to his direction. He sat there next to you with a slightly confused look—mixed with a hint of concern for you.

You quickly propped yourself on your elbows, and then shifted to your knees. His nervous eyes followed your position.

“Are you alright?”

“Cal…” you started. Unable to say the words—even though they’re already at the tip of your tongue—you take both of his hands and reeled them to your stomach.

Your husband’s eyes widened. His smile stretched from ear-to-ear when he felt the ripple of life coming from within you. His heart bounced in perhaps the fastest beat it has ever beaten in years.

“Cal, I’m pregnant!” you announced.

BD-1 trilled a long note in reaction, the little droid is just as surprised as his owner is!

The redhead stammered and blinked away several times, struggling to gather all the words he needed to express; when he cradled your face in his hands, you could feel just from his touch that he was bursting with sheer, indescribable happiness. He exhaled sharply, his breath warm as he touched foreheads with you.

“This… This is wonderful!” he gasped. He couldn’t speak further, acting purely on impulse, he closed in to kiss you—he pressed his lips long and hard to yours. “We’re having a baby!”

The forest echoed with your laughter. Cal snatched you into his arms and held you for so long as he buried his face into your neck, muffling his continuous laughing, and slowly rocked you back and forth.

Cal remained with you by the lake for the rest of the afternoon, he couldn’t take his hands off of your stomach; he wanted to keep feeling for the faint pulse of the conceived child in your womb. He started to daydream about the games he and the baby would play, how they would turn out to be—if they’ll have your eyes or his, if they’ll take after their mischievous father or their headstrong mother, whatever the case, he has already loved them the moment he felt the smallest beat.

—–

It was your third month since the conception of your child. The first few weeks were difficult and overwhelming, considering that this is your very first pregnancy. Luckily, you had help with Merrin and Cere. Still, it felt like your energy was slowly ebbing way as the weeks went by.

To avoid getting rusty with your combat skills, you continued to practice your swings, spins, and flourishes without using getting to the more acrobatic moves that required jumps and wide strides. Cal also kept a close eye on you when it comes to practicing, seeing that you’re still eager for sparring.

“I am so against this!” he exclaimed.

“Come on, the training droids aren’t really doing much help!” you whined.

He wagged his finger at you as if scolding a child, “ _Only one_ _round_ , okay? Whoever wins, that’s that.”

“Deal!”

Even if you were still itching for action, you moved with the greatest caution and care—both for yourself and your baby—you improvised the moves that were usually lively, you replaced the low ducks and slides with spinning, dance-link evasions that still eluded an attack in the same grace.

However, the power and strength of your sword arm didn’t seem to dull over time. You fenced with your husband—the contrast in the lightsaber techniques have become more obvious now, and he was being careful himself, he knew that you didn’t want to take it easy and so he came at a compromise.

“Aha!” he exerted as he had you at swordpoint.

“Okay, you got me. Deal’s a deal,”

“That’s my girl,” he cooed.

“Don’t be so smug, love. I want another try next week,”

When you got back to the Mantis, you staggered on your footing for a few seconds. It was a good thing Cal caught you before you slammed your back against the ship’s wall.

“How are you feeling, [y/n]?” asked Cere.

“A little lightheaded, more often than I probably should,”

“Usually, that becomes quite the norm, especially when a mother’s at her third month,” Merrin added.

“Is that so…?”

A few seconds later, the lightheadedness was gone and you settled yourself on the couch next to Merrin. Like the entire crew, everyone was so delighted to hear the news. First the engagement, then wedding, and now a baby!

But the most excited one is Merrin; if not Cal, the Nightsister was constantly by your side. She was practically your sister ever since. She offered to mix up potions that would help in easing your pregnancy without harming both you and the child; she was also the one who gave the most advice.

“My mother herself was a midwife, besides being an acolyte. She taught me everything, even if I never saw myself being in the same position as her,” the Nightsister disclosed.

Nevertheless, she was still delighted for your bundle of joy. The two of you traded secret wishes and future daydreams revolving around the child.

One evening, in the middle of the night where everyone had gone to sleep, you jumped out of bed, rushing towards the bathroom to vomit… again. For the second time this day. Earlier, Merrin had concocted a potion that was said to help ease the tensing of the belly, so the cramping would lessen for a few hours. For a while, that potion seemed to have worked—but it didn’t stop you from running to the bathroom just to retch it out again.

Cal was awakened by the abrupt shuffling of the bed, he heard the faint pitter-patter of your bare footsteps leave the room and followed you to the bathroom.

“No, not again…!” he heard your hushed voice as you rushed out of the room.

The sound of your retching was muffled behind the door. Bile exited your stomach, leaving a stinging feeling in your core. You ended up crying in exchange of not straining yourself and hurting your baby in the process. You struggled to cough out what’s left, but only clear saliva spat out of your mouth.

Your kneecaps suddenly softened, your grip around the sink’s rim was your remaining support to keep yourself from falling to the ground. Suddenly, you felt an arm coil around your waist and a hand rubbing across your back.

“Hey,” your husband cooed. “Are you okay?”

You sniffled, washing away the dribble on your nose, but you didn’t answer.

“Are you hurting?” he continued.

“I keep feeling sick,” you sobbed, rubbing the bridge of your nose as you try to fight back the tears. “Merrin’s potion works, but only for the cramps.”

Anxiety was also a constant in your visits to the bathroom during the wee hours. You hated yourself for stressing out on bad dreams, you always had to bite your knuckles when breaking down to muffle out the cries behind the bathroom door.

Swallowing the lump in your throat did little in repressing your tears, some droplets escaped your eyes, Cal spotted them instantly and wiped them away with his thumb.

“It’s okay, I’ll stay with you until you feel like sleeping,” he consoled as he guided you out of the bathroom when you were ready.

“You don’t have to do this, you need to go back to sleep,” you gently scolded.

“You’re my wife,” he said firmly, a steely yet gentle look in his eyes glinted. “I’ll be here for you. Anything you need, okay?”

You hoisted and folded your legs, leaning against Cal’s shoulder as you try to calm yourself down. He feels for your stomach again, speaking to his unborn child through his mind.

 _Don’t give Mommy a hard time, sweetheart._ He prayed as his lips nuzzled your temple while stroking your hair.

Two more months have passed. It’s the fifth month now, your belly had grown significantly. The morning sicknesses have seemed to lessen as time went on, however, in exchange it has become a little bit more difficult to move. The weight that you carried along with you has become more apparent; but that didn’t matter to you, all you could think about is the baby and you looked forward to its kicking. You and Cal sat together in the couch by the holotable, he now uses both hands to hold your stomach and found that they could no longer contain your belly.

“Oh, there’s a little kick,” he giggled.

You bobbed your head to the side, leaning against your own arm as you stare at Cal. You didn’t even realize that he must have shaved his stubble for just a little bit. Your knuckles stroked his beard and then your skin suddenly felt the smoothness of his freckled cheeks; his lips followed to where your palm is and nuzzled in for a kiss. When turned to you, his smile dissolved when he spotted a tear that you yourself didn’t even notice.

“Something the matter?”

“I’m a little scared, a little nervous. I mean… I’m so close now, Cal. I don’t even know if I—”

“Hey, you’re gonna be great,” he cuts in. He gingerly caressed your nape, fingernails raking the bottom of your hair, “I promise.”

He leaned closer to plant a long and tender kiss on your forehead. He kept his hands on your tummy, feeling for his baby, and he started guessing.

“It’s definitely a boy,” he beamed. “A kick that hard? Definitely.”

“Oh-ho, so someone’s gonna take your title of being the ‘One Who Kicks Ass’ in the Mantis?” you played along.

“Aww, he’s gonna have to get through me to steal my crown!”


	5. The Child

The months flew by, it only felt like yesterday when you told the news and now you’re currently in the ninth month. Any day now, the baby would be due. But you haven’t felt the signs yet.

The feeling of not holding a lightsaber and seeing action for a while was perhaps the biggest adjustment you’ve ever made; recalling the years where you’ve kept yourself low from the Imperials’ radar and having to limit the times you held your saber, this was far different than that.

To pass the time, you and Cal often strolled together just to keep yourself active. The Mantis continued its travels from time to time, but it would always find itself home in Cerinda and would occasionally return to Bogano for old time’s sake. The two of you stopped by the stream that branched out of the lake, something about that part of the forest became like a magnet to the both of you. Even in your expectant state, you were still the same sprightly girl who would dip her toes into the cold water at any given chance.

“I’ve been thinking,” you began. Beaming brightly and excitedly as you spoke, “I want to have our baby in this one planet that my master and I used to go to for a campaign.”

“Oh?” Cal propped his cheek against his fist, dreamily gazing at you while you pluck flowers by the shoreline and set them floating into the gentle current.

“The planet, Ilaro,” you craned your head to him. “It’s a neutral planet by the Outer Rim, but it’s very peaceful there. No Imperials, no fighting,”

He heard you sigh as you daydream about the planet in your mind. He kept smiling as he listened.

“If only you’ve seen it, Cal—oceans clear and bright blue like the sky that they almost conjoin, the city that Master and I went to was so extravagant yet quaint, much like Reema here but a bit bigger,” you trail off, and then smiled as the last, finishing thought entered your mind and turned to your husband. “And oh, I know the perfect place for us: by the hillside north of the city. There’s another town there, it’s small but I think it’ll do for us,”

He hummed in reply, enamored by your idea but mostly at your radiance. You couldn’t stay mad at him for only half-listening. You’re endeared by his droopy, dreamy eyes and the smile that still stood out even through his stubble that he personally kept to a certain thinness of his liking.

“What is it?” you giggled.

“You’re just so beautiful,” he cooed. “I just can’t help but stare even while you talk, I’m sorry.”

You caress his scruffy jaw, he willingly inches to you as he comes in for a kiss. You secretly chuckled when his stubble tickled you and you liked it when he did.

“I can’t stay mad, darling,”

That afternoon, you tended to the plants in the terrarium, shearing the weeds and other overgrowth that crowded the soil bed. It sooner became half a flower garden and a half a medicinal herb garden, you and Merrin shared sides of the terrarium respectively; Greez was cooking up some lunch while Cere continued her favorite pastime of splicing and hacking Imperial communications, but also found out about how to trace long-range frequencies as far as two to three parsecs.

“Have you ever thought if they’re a boy or a girl, [y/n]?”

“I have, but my mind changes every now and then—one day I’ll think it’s a boy, and then the next it’s a girl,” you chuckled. “Cal and I have been debating the same thing.”

“You’re at your ninth month, anyway. I’m sure it’ll come soon,”

“Yes, soon,” you trailed off echoing the Nightsister’s words.

Later, Cal came back with game that he had hunted in the forest’s inner meadows. One of Cerinda’s fauna that you’ve found a taste for was the Chorcap—a medium-sized, horned quadrupedal animal, it was slightly shorter than a Nerf in height and less hairy too, but it was stocky in build, making it prized for their meat. Merchants in Reema would buy for the horns, butchers would get portioned cuts, and Cal would haggle with those butchers for the portions.

“I’m back,” Cal chirped as he entered the ship. “Got some extra Chorcap on the road.”

“Oh finally! I thought this stew would never be done if it weren’t for you,” Greez grunted.

“Relax, Greez, here—the seasonings you asked for,”

Cal tossed a pouch to Greez to which the captain expertly caught with his bottom right arm and continued to stir the pot. He greeted you with a kiss on the cheek as you tended the little indoor garden and seated himself by the dining table.

“That smells good!” your husband exclaimed.

“Without these spices, my stew would be as bland as unfermented Merenzane Gold!”

From time to time, you’d conceal your expressions whenever your belly contracted. You’ve pretty much anticipated the baby’s due, but it was the pain that you tried to hide—not wanting to disturb everyone at your expense.

Minutes later, Greez called everybody for lunch, you helped in setting the table and serving out the helpings for each plate. The aroma of the stew wafted around the Mantis, making all the stomachs rumble, and come running towards the table. Lunch became more animated as conversations and topics volleyed here and there. You turned to BD-1 perched over the rim of the table between the lounge.

“Say, BD, do you still have the scan of the Binog?”

“What for?”

“Oh, you’ll see, hon,” you ended it with a smile.

After lunch and helping with the dishes, you retreated to the bedroom with BD-1 perched over your shoulder. You seated yourself by the workbench, producing spools of thread, buttons, filler cotton, and fabrics of different colors—all coming from the business district in Reema. You produced a holodisk and held it close to the droid

“Can you transfer the Binog’s hologram scan here, BD?”

“Wooo!” the little droid whirred out its splicer and connected itself to the holodisk’s port. Seconds later, the hologram of the great creature of Bogano flickered above the holodisk’s projector.

“Thank you, BD,” you rewarded the droid with head pats before starting with your work.

You drew patterns for each part of the animal and then sheared them piece by piece. Holding them together with pins, you started sewing the main body first—leaving an opening for the stuffing later—and then moved on to the legs and tail. Your slender fingers gracefully twisted, curled, and threaded with the stitches as you went on—pushing the needle and then pulling the thread—until it was starting to take shape. Glancing at the projection every once in a while to check if you’re getting the likeness correctly.

“Booo!”

“That’s right, BD, I’m making the Binog—though a smaller version, for the small one,” you cooed.

When the limbs and tail have joined the body and head, the next step was to sew in the fins that lined its spine all the way to the tail and its ears. You had the patterned fabrics at the ready, you just needed to stitch them. Cal walked in to the bedroom, finding you sitting back relaxed while sewing together a toy Binog.

“That’s actually pretty cute,” he beamed.

“Thank you, but it’s not finished yet,”

The finishing touches were the button eyes. A pair of solid black buttons were secured in an X-like stitch on its head. Two tiny white triangles were sewn along the mouth for its fangs that peeked out even with the actual creature’s mouth closed. Finally, BD-1 helped you stuff the toy with the cotton since his little claws could fit the openings you left for each body part.

“Thanks for your help, BD,” you sealed the filler openings and held it in your hand. “There we go!”

“That’s adorable,” your husband commented.

Even if it was never your intention to worry everybody—your husband, especially—you just couldn’t control the instance where your knees buckle and your muscles felt like tightening with a great force. As you struggled to stand up, everybody in the ship was alarmed by your cry of pain. All of a sudden, the swirling in your stomach started to tense up.

“The baby’s coming…!” you struggled to calmly breathe.

“Cere! Merrin!” Cal cried, scooping you up from your seat at the workbench and carefully settling you down on the bed.

“Whoa, whoa, what’s happening!?” Greez was infected with the same panic and alarm as the two ladies. The captain definitely heard your cries, he just didn’t think the baby was coming _now._

Your ankles jerked as your toes curled tightly, your hand gripped the sheets as you tried to fight off the contraction pains. Cal ignored the hard grip that’s crumpling his sleeve as you broke down sobbing in pain.

“I know a place!” Cere exclaimed. “Captain, set a course to Polis Massa! Grid coordinates K-20, NOW!”

“It’s two parsecs away via jump to hyperspace!” Greez argued.

“Captain, just do it!” the woman snapped back.

“You’re gonna be okay, [y/n], do you hear me?” Cal’s voice cracked while squeezing back your free hand.

“[y/n], breathe,” Merrin calmly chanted, it became her mantra to you as the minutes went on.

The jump to lightspeed felt like an eternity as you battled the excruciating pain. Your body tossed and turned, finding a position where the cramping hurt less. Your legs thrashed, your vision blackened around the edges as you struggled to breathe in a slow pace—it only lessened the cramping to an extent but you don’t know for how long you could hold it.

Cere came barging in the bedroom.

“We’re near our destination. How is she holding up?”

“She’s trying to breathe calmly, I strongly object in using my magick on her,” the Nightsister reported.

“My head is burning!”

Cal pressed the back of his hand against your forehead, “She’s having a fever! How much farther until we reach Polis Massa?”

Before Cere could reply, the feedback of Greez’s microphone crackled through the speakers.

“Hold on, folks! It’s gonna be a bumpy ride!” the Lateron announced.

Cere sprang back to the cockpit, swerving and catching her balance as the ship rumbled. The turbulence didn’t help much, but you kept holding onto Cal’s hand.

“Cere, you didn’t tell me that we’re running into an asteroid field!”

“Because Polis Massa _is_ on the asteroid field!”

“And this is a medical station we’re talking about!”

Greez steered closer to the largest asteroid until he found a cluster of silver infrastructures sticking out on the largest rock in the field. Cere had no further qualms about that, she turned and tapped the buttons and knobs on her communication station in the ship to send the urgent transmission.

“This is Jedi Cere Junda, we are in need of urgent medical assistance! A crew member has gone into labor and is about to give birth, please!”

“Transmission verified, you are allowed to dock. We’ll have a ward and medical droids ready for her,”

The medical droids stationed there were on full alert, a couple of the wardens came out of the building with a gurney prepared for you as they anticipated your arrival. The ship maneuvered and hovered carefully by the landing pad.

“We’re here,” Cal whispered to you, hoping to console you.

“Where are we?” you murmured.

“Polis Massa,” he scooped you up from the bed, carried you all the way out of the Mantis and then laying you down on the gurney waiting for you.

The female wardens briskly pushed your gurney towards the medical bay and then to the available ward that was ready for you. The human nurses cooed and whispered to you in comforting, melodic voices; coaxing you and telling you everything down to the littlest detail.

“We’re going to carry you to the next bed, alright?”

“Okay…” you replied, your eyes were too heavy to direct your vision to whichever nurse was speaking to you.

The nurses traded diagnoses with one another and then relayed them to the medical droids, reflecting your vital signs onto their computers and holographs.

“Vitals are fine, no remarkable findings,”

“Blood pressure is stable,”

The nurses helped you lift up your knees as a midwife droid hovered slowly towards you. The entire crew watched through the glass wall of your room, they all leaned against the opposite wall but it was your husband who eagerly stayed behind the glass.

“Is she going to be alright?” he asked the one nurse who exited your room.

“Yes, it’s good that you’ve brought her here on such short notice,”

“We were only two parsecs away from here,” Cere added.

The nurse had allowed Cal to enter the ward—for only one non-patient was permitted to accompany the patient—he sat by your side, close to your head. He stroked your hair as you take deep breaths before pushing.

Cal watched the red fill your cheeks as you tried to push, following the pace of the midwife droid that’s coaxing you. He ignored your screeching cries, he wiped away the tears that rolled away from your eyes as you breathed through clenched teeth, preparing for the next.

An infant cry filled the room, Cal’s head instantly turned to the end of the bed where the midwife droid held your newborn—he watched the droid clean the infant on the spot and swaddle it in a soft, white sheet. He stood up and held the tiniest human being he’s ever seen in his entire life. A tinge of orange strands adorned the little one’s head.

“It’s a girl,” he gasped.

He approached you with your daughter in his arms, he held her close to you so you may look at her crumpled, crying little face.

“Cassidy,” you whispered.

Cal heard you utter the name. You traded glances and he smiled. A teardrop glimmered at the edge of his eye.

“Cassidy.” He echoed. The baby’s tiny hand hooked around his finger and he could’ve sworn he felt his heart burst out of his ribs, “My little Cassidy.”

He held his baby daughter right in front of him. Dark, round, shining eyes blinked back at him as Cassidy’s stubby arms squirmed, lightly hitting his cheeks and jaw with smooth, soft hands.

“She has your eyes,” Cal choked.

“She has your hair,” you manage a chuckle.

“You did great, darling,” he sat down, level to you and planted a kiss on your forehead while the Mantis crew watched the little family have their greatest moment yet.


	6. A Hopeful Beginning

You were given a few more days to recover after giving birth. The whole crew remained in Polis Massa while you regained your strength. The nurses were very meticulous when it comes to your diet and general post-partum health.

A day later you can already sit up, Cal remained with you in the ward with little Cassidy nestled in the little crib by your bedside—with the toy Binog that you’ve sewn yesterday lying right next to her. The medical droids suggested skin-to-skin contact must be done as often as possible—adding that it is crucial for the overall health of the baby.

The medical droids were strict about visitors, Cal was the only one who can go inside and out of the ward as he pleases. He eventually showed his baby to the Mantis crew with the glass wall dividing them, everyone absolutely loved the little Kestis girl swaddled and nestled in her father’s arms.

From your bed, you watched Cere, Merrin, and Greez smiled and wiggle their fingers in front of Cassidy to get her attention. The sight of them melting at the presence of a baby was new, it warranted a giggle from you. The crew looked over Cal’s shoulder and waved excitedly at you, your husband turned around and smiled back at you too.

“I’m not used to seeing _all_ of them worked up _at the same time_ ,”

“Yeah, it’s my first time seeing _that_ too,” you joked.

Cal surely took his time in holding his daughter: nuzzling the tip of his nose against her forehead, his lips parting as he mimicked her yawning and then smiling once her mouth has closed.

“Mind her head,”

“She’s so tiny,” Cal sighed, not getting enough of feeling the weight of his daughter in his arms.

He gently adjusted his hold of her, letting the baby’s head rest on his shoulder, he held his breath so he could feel hers—warm, sweet, and small. He was careful not to disturb her with his stubble.

“I just wanna squish her so bad,” he cracked.

BD-1 peeked over Cal’s shoulder, chirping and trilling at the sight of little Cassidy. Cal softly shushed the droid as the baby continued to sleep, staring at the small face as he kept cradling her in his arms.

Eventually, Cal transferred her to your arms, the baby gurgled and squirmed when she felt she was being moved. When she pressed her cheek against your bosom, she yawned and her eyelids slightly flicked up, showing a little bit of her eyes before she dozed off again. Your heartstrings twisted in the best way possible.

“She’s so beautiful,” you sighed, smoothly stroking her head with your first two fingers.

Your heart felt light when your daughter’s tiny hand patted your chest and her fingers unfurled. Cassidy’s hand latched around your thumb when your hands met. You didn’t realize that the tiniest hand could hold so much of you.

It was your final checkup a week after you gave birth. The GH-7 medical droid hovered towards you and towed along a table of medical tools behind him.

“How are you feeling, miss?”

“I’m fine. No headaches or what, but still a bit exhausted,”

“Physical exhaustion is normal after childbirth, since your muscles have been most likely overworked,” the droid motioned to a handheld apparatus. “With enough rest, you may return to your normal activities in a week or so.”

“Good to know,”

“My readings indicate that your blood pressure is optimally normal and your vitals are in peak stability!” the droid trilled, green lights glowing in its lenses as they reported its diagnosis. “You are permitted for discharge whenever you’re ready.”

The droid politely replied and then dismissed itself to the computers. Your husband turned to you, already knowing what that face meant. You gestured a nod at him, to which he translated to “In a bit” and continued cuddling up Cassidy. The three of you were ready after an hour or two, upon returning to the Mantis, the baby was greeted with hushed swooning and baby-talk murmurs.

“Oh, look at her,” Cere fawned, beaming at the sight of the child up close and personal. Then she leveled her head to the Jedi couple. “So, where to now?”

“I think I should let [y/n] take the reins on that,”

You strode to the holotable and typed the coordinates of Ilaro. Everyone gathered round the map as the projection colored the room into the bright cyan.

“Ilaro,” Cere reads out loud.

“Ilaro is in the Outer Rim, it’s going to take a few parsecs away from here,”

You also added the same information that you told Cal about the planet—the range of the Empire’s hold in that system runs thin, so there will be little to no Imperial presence.

“Then we’re gonna have to make a cutting trip, I don’t want the Mantis running with a half-empty tank,” Greez grumbled. “If it’s in the Outer Rim, I know an outpost where I can fill ‘er up before heading to your planet.”

The whole crew concurred, Merrin accompanied the mother and child by the holotable couch while the three manned their stations in the cockpit. The Nightsister admired the infant, rubbing her index finger and thumb between Cassidy’s pudgy feet—both of you giggling whenever her toes would flinch because it tickled her.

“She’s such a sleepy bug,” Merrin hummed.

This was the first jump to lightspeed to the fueling outpost for Greez.

The slight turbulence of the outpost’s tractor beam jolted the infant but you snuggled her into your arms.

“This’ll take only a while,” Greez announced from the captain’s seat.

The Mantis was peaceful, but it was a new kind of peace, now that the ship has a new, tiny member with them. For the rest of the trip, Cassidy slept soundly, occasionally cooing and gasping with the little voice that tugged your heartstrings. While there’s nothing much to do in the middle of hyperspace, Cal sat next to you, his palm curled to cradle her head. He’d giggle back at the soft noises that Cassidy makes in the middle her sleep. The Mantis’s speed has slowed down, signaling your arrival in Ilaro’s orbit. Cal returned to the co-pilot seat and assisted Greez as the ship cuts through the atmosphere, the Jedi was able to navigate the land mass and found the hillside town that you once told him about.

“Over there, Greez, I see it,”

“Me too, kid,”

The captain flew the ship over to a clearing they found in the hillside, just a few meters away from the town’s border. You braced yourself for the landing until the rumbling came to a halt. Cal exited the cockpit and joined you.

“We’re here,”

He escorted you out of the ship and got a glimpse of the landscape. It was breathtaking. It was exactly the same as you and your master found it many years ago. The town that you referred to was more of a quaint village that clustered along the hilltop overlooking the ocean on the other side of the island.

“You’re right, [y/n], this is the perfect spot. A ship’s not the best place to raise a child—no offense to Greez there,”

“Yeah, I just hope it’ll remain that way,”

You and Cal stood at the hill, gazing at the deep blue sea that stretched to the far reaches of the horizon—illuminated by the twin suns that have begun to sink behind the coastline—looking forward to a future filled with hope, especially for your child.

—–

**_8 BBY_ **

At the age of three, Cassidy Kestis had grown plumper and cheerier; with hair—and perhaps a will—as fiery as her father’s, eyes as docile yet full of spark like her mother, she’s nothing but a waddling ball of light in the Kestis homestead. Her laughter, voice, and words would fill the entire house and the entire ship during your visits to the Mantis.

BD-1 had grown extra especially fond of the little one, and Cassidy had the exact same sentiments to him. The little droid and the little girl have become best friends ever since then. BD was there to entertain her with the flashing blue lights, even though she half-understood that they were hologram projections of all the data scans throughout her parents’ journey.

“You’re always showing her that Binog scan, buddy,” Cal chirped while watching over the kid and the droid play together.

“I think he wants us to teach her how to say Binog,” you suggested after popping out of the kitchen while waiting for your recipe to simmer.

You leaned against the door frame to watch BD-1 and Cal try to coax the word “Binog” from Cassidy. The toddler pointed at the blue projection and then she started surveying the living room for her toy of that creature—when she spotted it lying behind the droid, the child outstretched her arms but she remained on where she sat. The parents watched their daughter with great intrigue, their eyes shifting between the child and the toy until the object started to shudder, inching towards Cassidy’s general direction until the stuffed Binog toy sprang from the floor and lightly landed in Cassidy’s hands.

“Dad… Mommy…” Cassidy gurgled, waving the toy around in front of them.

Cal glanced over his shoulder to his wife, he found you just as dumbfounded as he is. The two of you traded puzzled stares at one another. The surprise didn’t come from the fact that she was Force-sensitive, both of you were more surprised that the Force has manifested within her in such a young age.

“Later,” you firmly established.

Cal nodded and repeated the word in agreement. You returned to the kitchen and stirred the soup one last time before serving it. You tapped the ladle against the rim of the pot, Cal promptly snatched up his daughter from the floor.

“Come on, Cassidy, it’s dinnertime!” he buried his chin against Cassidy’s cheek and arms.

“Daddy… no itchy!” Cassidy squeaked, trying to push away her dad’s scruffy jaw from her face.

“Oh no, you’re gonna fall!”

Cal continued to joke around on his way to the dining table with Cassidy in tow. He faked her falling by lowering her upper half close to the floor and the bottom half locked securely in his grasp. The little girl was exhilarated as her red hair draped and swerved as Cal strode, she bursts in laughter as she tried to kick her way out of her daddy’s grasp.

“Here comes the Sarlacc in the floor!”

He made a comedic impression of the Sarlacc’s grunting and hissing as he continued to dangle and rock the baby close to the floor.

“Daddy!” the little girl struggled to speak through her squealing giggles.

“Okay, okay, careful with the Sarlacc game or you might spill the pot,”

You come out of the kitchen and settled down the pot on the table. Cassidy looked to you for help, stretching out her arms at you, opening and then closing her palms as if to beckon you to come to her.

“Mommy, here!”

“I gotcha!” you swiped your baby girl away from her daddy, shielding her from Cal with your back but your husband’s height towered over yours.

Arms snaked around your waist, pulling you in from behind, Cal nuzzled his jaw against your neck—now you were his victim of his ticklish kisses thanks to his stubble. You bobbed your head to the side, denying him more entry to your weak spots.

“The food’s gonna grow cold, time to dig in,” you segued.

“You mind if I dig into your later?”

“I’d like to see you try,” you pecked him teasingly before settling Cassidy down on her chair.

The two of you helped yourselves with potful of boiled potatoes and tenderized Chorcap meat swimming in creamy, rich broth. Cal dug in, taking spoonful after spoonful of his serving.

“Slow down or you’ll choke on the chopped scallions,” you warned.

“Are you trying to compete with Greez? Because this is really good!”

You took that as a compliment. Meanwhile, you alternated between feeding Cassidy and bringing your own spoon to your mouth. She smiled away the soup dribbling at the edge of her mouth, leaving a butter-colored smeared mess across her chin as she continued fiddling with the legs and tail of her toy Binog.

The peace that lingered at the dining table changed.

The stern expressions in your faces focused on Cassidy, the little toddler was clueless as she sat and patted her toy in her seat, shifting her gaze between her mother and father. The exact same thought bridged your minds, it was the only conversation you had without speaking, but your eyes uttered so many questions and words.

Eventually, you were the one to break the silence.

“You do know the risks that come with it—the same risks that we had to face as children,”

“I know,” your husband hummed.

A pensive tone rung in your words, “In time.”

Cal’s head motioned to a nod. He reached for Cassidy’s hand, by instinct, she latched her stubby paw around Cal’s finger; the two of you continued to watch the baby unknowingly wield the Force by causing her toy to float inches above her lap and giggled as it plopped back down on her legs—doing so without a clue in the galaxy what she is capable of.

A few hours after dinner, you’ve bathed Cassidy to ready her for bed. Her fine red hair smoothly followed each sway and turn of the hairbrush. In your arms, you sang a wordless lullaby to her, the solemn melodies lulled the child to sleep until you could settle her down in her cradle.

“Sweet dreams, my little angel,” you cooed, smoothing her fringe across her forehead.

You sat by the window nook, having a full view of the sea—black at night but will return to azure in the day—beneath the twin platinum moons shining below the planet.

In the calming darkness of your bedroom, Cal sat behind you, joining you in listening to the sleepy tides crashing in the distance.

“Your mind keeps dwelling on the thought, love,”

“I only keep thinking how she’ll turn out,”

“Don’t worry about her,” he slid his knuckles across the smoothness of your shoulders, your skin recalled a familiar sensation not too long ago. “She’s got us.”

You shifted in your seat, the moonlight amplified the determination twinkling in your eyes. Cal caressed your cheeks and brushed away the hair that nearly concealed your face.

“I won’t let anything happen to my girls,” a steely yet gentle glint shone over the gloss of his eyes.


	7. Siege of Ilaro

Cassidy went on with her childhood, being more concerned where her toy Binog had gone because her toy Bogling was lonely. There were times that she could wield the Force, only to fetch her toys, but on most days it didn’t happen—though it didn’t upset her, she simply continued on playing house with her stuffed animals that her mother had personally hand-sewn.

The little girl loved it outside, she would run across the grassy meadow of the hilltop while her red hair billowed in the sea breeze. The toy Binog and Bogling always kept her hands full, and they always accompanied her—aside from BD-1—when she goes to sightsee the ocean on one side and the city on the other.

“Bee-woop, trill!”

“BD!”

BD-1 led Cassidy towards a small of flowers that dotted the field, the child plucked one or two, and held them in her free hand while cradling both the Binog and Bogling in one arm. By force of habit, the little droid flashed his scanners at the ones still planted on the ground. He may not yet realize that Cassidy couldn’t understand droidspeak for now, he still happily relayed all his datascans to his little best friend.

“BD, Cassidy, be careful you two!” you called from the distance.

Cal held his head to the sky, the pristine white clouds have greyed and they loomed low above the sea.

“I think a storm’s about to pick up,”

“Maybe in a few,” you concurred.

You beckoned Cassidy and BD-1 to come inside, the girl scooped up the droid in her free arm, carrying him in the same fashion as her toys and waddled towards her mother.

The two of you watched her closely, with the same thought running in the back of your minds tirelessly. It has become a point that your top priority is her safety and having a normal childhood—something neither of you had, no thanks to the war and the Purge.

Cassidy continued to play inside the house, back to her imaginary world with BD. She surveyed the room in search of her Binog, she whimpered for a moment and then transitioned into a squeal.

“Mommy, look! It’s Nog!” She waved the toy Binog in front of you—whom she lovingly called “Nog”—hiding under the living room table.

“There he is! You finally found him,” you played along, taking the Bogling to her other hand. “There, Bog has his friend now.”

“BD, here,” the child waddled to the center space and the little droid scampered along.

They continued on with their game, BD-1 flashed a moving projection of the Nydak—that Cassidy personally hated at face value, even if she’s never seen it in person—and she started making a hero out of the toy Binog, fighting the hologram of the clawed beast that’s ravaging her little world.

Watching your daughter play and daydream away with her toys made your hearts aflutter. You and Cal fondly watched her show off her toys and the scenarios that she makes with them, of course, as parents you encouraged her and played along with her.

Your life as a family was only the beginning.

“I’ll just get back on fixing the speeder outside,”

“Okay,”

Cal stood up from his seat on the couch, took a few steps away but immediately turned around returning to you.

“Oop, I almost forgot,” he crawled on fours, landing mere inches away from you, only to close the narrow gap with a kiss; his lips brushed against you, secretly sucking your bottom lip and running his tongue into your mouth.

Cassidy was disturbed from her role-playing with her toy animals when Cal scooped her chubby face and ravaged her cheeks with his rough, itchy kisses.

“Itchy kisses!” Cal bellowed playfully.

“Agh, no itchy kisses!!” Cassidy squealed while trying to shield her cheeks from Cal’s beard in retaliation. She succeeded in pushing him away, but made up for it by kissing the less hairy part of her daddy’s face.

“I’ll see you two in a bit,”

Cal appeared out of the house, greeted by the distant tide crashing at the foot of the hilltops, the song of the gulls whistling through the cold, heavy breeze. The Kestis homestead had a full view of the capital city but they’re content in their little village.

The salty sea breeze entered his flaring nostrils, fresh air filled his lungs to the brim, he kept finding himself gazing at the thunderclouds in the horizon—but it wasn’t the weather that worried him, it was something else; he knew that you could feel it too, he sensed your uneasiness when the wind had picked up.

In a small shed where most of the Kestis family’s machinery, tech, and communications are, he busied himself in working on the speeder’s chassis sitting on his workbench. Fixing things like he used to in Bracca and after that always distracted him in a good way, it made him worry less and focus more on his objective at hand. Thunder muffled through the walls of the shed, it didn’t startle him but he was quickly reminded how easily loud noises scared Cassidy.

Meanwhile, back in the homestead, the same thunder caused Cassidy to jump in the middle of her playing. She shuffled towards her mother, toys in hand, and BD-1 comforted her by nestling against her leg.

“It’s okay, sweetie, it’s only rain,” you wrapped your arms around the toddler. Knowing and feeling safe, she continued bobbing and waving her toys in the air, unintentionally lifting her Bogling with the Force.

You rested your cheek against Cassidy’s head, stroking her curling locks while she plays and shows you her scenarios that she’s made up with her toys—to which you hum in a soft, affirmative tone as a reply and then she would continue.

This bothersome feeling distracted you, holding Cassidy close gave a sense of calm, but it persisted. Claps of thunder raged on, growing louder and louder as it loomed past the surf; Cal paused and dropped everything on the table, feeling and anticipating for something, expecting the unknown. Cassidy shrieked, startled by the last roar of the thunder—the loudest of all—and scurried deeper into your arms, burying her face into your bosom and tugging the flaps of your jacket to shroud her vision from the storm.

The communications in the shed flickered to life all of a sudden. The satellite picked up and relayed Cere’s transmission from the Mantis.

“Cal, come in. This is Cere from the Mantis,”

“I hear you, Cere,”

“We have a problem,”

It’s as though as anchor had been dropped to the pit of Cal’s stomach. He abandoned his mechanical work and darted uphill back to the cottage. In the middle of the path, four black silhouettes dotted the gray sky; the roaring of their engines’ throttle screeched to the hill, the denizens of the hillside village started pouring out of their homes, discovering the same silhouette cutting through the drizzle.

“What is that?!”

“Is it the Empire!?”

Murmurs and indistinct chatter of the onlookers filled the slope, their white noise mingling with the engine screeches and growing wrath of the storm.

“EVERYBODY, GATHER YOUR FAMILIES AND EVACUATE!!!” Cal bellowed and they immediately picked up the sense of urgency to follow. They scrambled back into their homes in a panic while Cal continued heading back to the cottage.

Stroking your daughter’s head to console her, you cooed to her repeatedly that it was okay; but fear suddenly washed over your being when a sharp, whistling noise followed the raspy screech of a ship engine. It wasn’t something natural.

You can recognize that sound anywhere.

Explosions from the distance rumbled across the land. Ion cannons from TIE Fighters have met their marks. Cal barges into the house, gasping for air as he supported himself leaning against the doorway.

“We have to go!”

In an instant, you sprang from the floor, snatched Cassidy into your arms and rushed to your bedroom. You settled her on the bed, kissing her forehead while she stares at her mother with round, confused eyes. It was fortunate that you had the foresight to pack a bag with your belongings, that way you’re able to spend less time in packing and more time in evacuating. Your lightsaber hilts rolled as you pulled open your drawers, you fished the weapons out of the container and clipped them to your belt.

“Mommy, scared…” Cassidy whimpered.

“It’s okay, honey…” you cupped her face and choked back tears. “It’s just rain.”

“Is everything ready?” Cal popped into the bedroom.

“Yes. Here,” you tossed him his saber. “It’s been a while. Hope you’re not rusty yet.”

Cal painted his signature smug in his face, the cold cylinder fought with the warmth of his palm, his fingers tightened around the hilt as he felt for the grooves and crevices of his sleeve’s design. He gave it a good spin in his hand for old time’s sake and then buckled it to the hook of his belt.

“Greez has the ship fired up, it won’t be long before—”

A cottage was reduced into stones, debris rained over the roof of the house; you urged your husband to move out now, both of your slung backpacks over your shoulders and burst out of your home for three years. You make for the door, cautiously checking if the coast is clear of TIE Fighters.

“The Mantis is in the clearing!” Cal cried. “Go, go, go!”

Holding Cassidy tight and close to you, Cal took the lead and made sure you stayed close. The tricky part was going downhill with a baby in tow while evading meter-long ion cannons from TIE Fighters. The wake of destruction could be seen from where you stand, but there was no time to gawk, you have to keep moving.

“Look, stragglers!” a Stormtrooper alerted.

The troops angled and faced your general direction, by a split second, the projectiles returned to them as Cal banked them away from his wife and daughter. The Kestis family ran towards the woods, striking down the soldiers that stood in their way and pulled the trigger on them.

“We’re close, come on!”

Just when the two of you thought you’re so close, you were proven otherwise when a horde of Stormtroopers _and_ Purge Troopers appeared in the smokescreen of rain. The adversaries armored in black and red, waving the dual-ended electrostaffs in hand, marched forward—imposing the shadow of fear in the raging storm.

“Cal…” the cautionary tone in your voice lowed in your throat, your hand instinctively planted against the back of Cassidy’s swaddled head.

The enemy swarm closes in, Cal stands there frozen and you want to know what’s going on in his mind right now.

“Cal, I don’t think we can take them on,”

The dorsal fin of the Mantis pops out of the horizon, right behind the enemy line—just when they have you cornered, the ship obliterates them with a single release of the twin ion cannons. The Mantis orients itself sideways, the entry ramp unfolds with Cere standing on the other side.

“Get on board!” she cried.

You and Cassidy went first, you buckled your knees and sprang the balls of your feet off the air while embracing your baby tight enough, followed by Cal. The family staggered to the couch, finally affording the moments to catch their breaths. You pulled off the hood of the swaddle to check on Cassidy—she was uninjured but she’s still terrified from the sounds that she couldn’t comprehend.

“Captain, they’re here now!”

Greez didn’t reply, he was too busy prepping the ship for the jump to lightspeed. He cranked the lever and his beloved Mantis darted out of the atmosphere and into deep space, barely eluding the blockade of Star Destroyers.

“Well now, the Empire sure seems to have set their interests on Ilaro,” Cal dryly blurted.

“Had I cracked their transmitters soon enough before the storm interfered, I would’ve warned you sooner,”

“It’s fine, Cere, we’re all right now,” you sighed. “Where are we going? Cerinda?”

“Cerinda has been taken. The Empire has fanned out its fleets in the system and its neighbors. We’re in the middle of a widespread occupation,”

“I don’t suppose you have another place we can crash in now?” Cal chided.

You argued that if the Empire has gone as far as the Outer Rim, it doesn’t really matter now what region of the galaxy you flee to. Bogano may be an option, but it can’t be too obvious. Kashyyyk has peace right now, but only time will tell when the next attack on the planet will occur. Your heart sank as you settled Cassidy on the couch—she still found the comfort of her toys in her hands—while for every planet that you could recall and think of, a “what if” always followed. You decided to narrow down the list to the hopefully-least likely to be invaded by the Empire.

You uttered the name of the planet. Cal, Cere and Merrin turned to you, gawking at you slouched against the seat. You rummaged your backpack, fishing for something until you produced a lime-green holocron in your hands.

“I’ve inherited this holocron from my master a long time ago—this is the first time I’ve used it again after so many years,”

Using the Force to activate the holocron, the golden frame moved in a symmetrical pattern, exposing the crystalline artifact little by little. With the core finally revealed, a hologram recording of your late master fizzled into existence, her voice muffled from the resolution but still rang clear, her face blank as she was speaking to nothingness but delivering a message to many.

You listened intently at the small, figurine-sized projection of your master. One would assume that all these years, you would’ve forgotten her face or her full name; but you’re constantly reminded in more ways than one.

“This is Jedi Master Trianna Geddu. I have personally contained a list of planets that ranges as close as the Core Worlds to someplace as far as the Outer Rim. My purpose for such a list is to provide a safehaven for those in need. These are dark times—not only for the Jedi, but the Republic itself. I can only hope that as time passes after my time of recording this, those planets in the list have remained loyal to what is good and just.”

The projection dissolved and then another replaced it. The list appeared more of a map, stars scattered across the room, filling everyone’s eyes with its glitter—Cassidy was especially enamored by the celestial sight, she cooed and gasped in reaction, aimlessly pointing at the stars and planets in the air.

You stood up, searching the stars for a particular planet until you found a planet with three moons—two on the western hemisphere and one on the eastern—your finger hovered over the moon on the eastern hemisphere.

“I know this place,” Cal murmured, peering over the projection while it rotated—as if it was the real thing—and then the memories were beginning to squirm in his head, he calms himself down to meditate on them.

Images flashed one by one, a few have no particular correlation with one another, but they all transpired within the same place.

“This moon, Zera III, I’ve been here before,” the spherical hologram hovered over the palm of his hand.

“What’s in there, Cal?” you queried.

“A temple, but it wasn’t Jedi. It’s practically desolate,” he concentrated again. “A delta, a mangrove… it’s a forest. Yes, I know that. It’s warm… and… familiar.”

His eyes blinked open, finding himself the target of the stares of the Mantis crew—including his own daughter—you and Cere exchanged glances. You gawked at the moon floating in the space of the ship, you surveyed the rest of the map until you conferred with the crew.

“So, Zera III?” you conferred, bobbing your head to the side.

It feels like you have gone full circle—and a sudden wash of déjà vu.

You were all practically in the same predicament three years ago—conversing with gaping stares, suggestive eyes, and smug smirks, the only difference is that the holocron isn’t destroyed and that you and Cal have a baby.

The Mantis makes way for the moon Zera III.


	8. First Steps

**_4 BBY_ **

Young Cassidy Kestis has just turned seven years old.

As she grew, she has become more exposed to the doings of her parents: watching them trade strikes with beams of light that emit out of a metal cylinder once ignited, wave their hands around to move things from something as a bug to something as large as a boulder without needing to touch them, and her childhood was heavily influenced by that—she was a constant spectator of her parents.

It fascinated her. Though she didn’t know that she was more like them.

You and Cal have been teaching her mostly about the Force ever since she was five years old. It was you who taught her the ways of the Force, how to reach out to it, and how to strengthen her bond with it.

“So, when can I learn how to lift things without my hands, Mom?”

The innocence and naivety of your daughter amused you. Perhaps it’s inherent in many younglings to ask when they can start to lift things using the Force—you were no stranger to that, you and Cal are practically guilty to such an inquiry once.

“Soon, Cassidy,” you still entertained her question, but quickly added the important bit. “But lifting things with the Force isn’t the most important thing you’ll have to learn.”

“Then what is?”

The sprightly young girl hopped from one rock to the other as she followed you into the forest. She showed off her balancing skills by lifting her one leg up while keeping the other planted on the narrow tip of the boulder stuck on the ground; you quickly caught her in your arms when she started to stumble facedown.

“The Force itself, no less,” you settled her atop a stone’s throw in the middle of the clearing. “That’s the energy that surrounds us and binds us everywhere.”

“But how can I know it’s there when I don’t even see it?”

She had a fair point, you thought, her insight was repaid with a chuckle stifled by a smile.

“That’s very perceptive,” you commented. “But you’re right, though: how could one know something is there when they don’t see it?”

That was a rhetoric, though your daughter’s acumen reminded you of the very same standpoint you once had as a Jedi youngling. You recall the words of Master Yoda from one of your lectures back in the day. You paced back and forth, stringing together the words of the lesson, her head followed your every step as she loosened her shoulders and lay her hands over her legs crossed together on the stone’s throw.

“The Force doesn’t need eyes to be seen, Cassidy, _it needs to be felt._ So, can you tell me how does one feel?”

Her eyes wandered the forest, in search of an answer, and then she perked up right away.

“Touching!” she showed you her palms wide open and wiggled all ten of her fingers.

“That’s right, that’s one thing,” you reward her answer with a smile and she shifted in her seat. “Can you think of another?”

“Not exactly, Mom,”

“All right, I want you to try something. Close your eyes,”

The child did as she was told. Nothingness shrouded her eyes. With her vision darkened, her other senses keened—it was more of an unconscious action than something noticeable—her hands were pulled away from her knees and then were planted against the cold, smooth surface of her perch by you.

_Feel, Cassidy…_

The hushed words of her mother faded into the still, afternoon breeze, they swirled about in her mind as if to embed itself into her system; at first, she didn’t know what or how to do with it, but she never let go of those words and acted upon them.

The ambiguity of your words afforded Cassidy a lot of wiggle room as to how she’ll go about it. She was attempting to comprehend what you meant—the lack of sight was beginning to make sense, she was able to make out sensations and emotions that stretched farther than the span of her arms.

“I think I feel something…” Cassidy whispered. “Warm…? No, cool—like the water in the river.”

An indescribable feeling seeped into her, like an inward embrace. All kinds of sensation coming from all around her entered her system like a siphon.

“There _is_ something…!” she gasped, overwhelmed by the things flooding her mind—it was perhaps too much for the seven-year-old. She squirmed in her seat, refining herself to control it better.

“That’s the Force, Cassidy—you’re letting it flow within you,”

A certain warmth blanketed her. It commanded her body to relax and loosen away from the tension. Moments later, even with her vision darkened, she had a full view of the forest clearing—the stream, the grass, the rocks that she made stepping stones out of, and her mother standing opposite her.

Her fingers curled over the stone’s throw where you had planted them, as she allowed the Force to guide her silently and act on her pure instinct, you observed the pebbles rattling next to your feet—unfazed yet intrigued by this, you return your attention to your daughter.

“Deep breaths, Cassidy,” you instructed in the middle of her trance.

She obeyed as she heard. To her, it felt like the influx of sensations have balanced itself out when her lungs released the air they collected—but little did she knew that it was all on her as she tried to calm herself and clear those thoughts. She had yet to understand that her actions and the Force itself were symbiotic with one another. Later on, even if she wasn’t told, she attempt to open her eyes, slowly.

Standing right in front of her were her parents, their posture were alike—shoulders loose, hands behind their back, and a smile greeting her as the light enters her dark eyes.

“Well, Cassidy?”

“There was _something_ , but I don’t really know what it is—it just made me feel things,” the scarlet-haired girl struggled with her words, hoping that you would understand her takeaway—you knew exactly what she meant.

“You did a good job, Cassidy,” you chirped. “That something you said? That was the Force reaching back to you, because you called it and it answered you.”

“So, it’s like talking but without the words… and with my eyes closed?”

An amused smile stretched from ear-to-ear, you caressed the curve of her cheek.

“Something like that, my sweet,”

You gave her a few minutes’ worth of rest before it was Cal’s turn to train her. It has become a point that he teaches combat while you teach Cassidy how to wield, connect with, and use the Force. BD-1, excited as always to reunite with Cassidy, skittered off of Cal’s shoulder towards her and the two friends immediately got lost in their own little world.

“She’s learning,” Cal chirped.

“Yes, she is. She’s a fast learner, I’ll give her that,”

“But she has much to understand,”

The absence of a reply from you meant that you agreed, though you weren’t sure how to word it out. The two of you watched Cassidy prop herself on her knees and concentrate on her own, applying what she has learned just now without any supervision—it’s a consistent trait of hers to do something independently after having learned or been taught about it; she has exhibited that when she first witnessed Cal lift a fallen log that blocked the path using the Force—that event was two years ago.

Eventually, it was Cal’s turn to train her today.

“Cassidy,” he summoned. “It’s time for instruction.”

“In a minute, Daddy!”

Her smiling face paled the radiance of the daylight as she scampered towards Cal with open arms, running towards him in a bear hug; their scarlet hairs clashed and shimmered a fiery hue against the sun as Cal brushed noses with her. They were binary suns personified.

Cal’s teaching methods take after Jaro Tapal’s style—straightforward and concise, firm yet gentle. Perhaps, the only thing Cal differed from his late master was patience. Cal handed over the prototype saber that he had fashioned for Cassidy, but it wasn’t technically _hers_ —she has yet to undergo her own Gathering pretty soon.

“Now then,” he started as he configured the training droid. “Let’s have a little warm-up.”

Cassidy assumed a stance, she did an adorable job in doing so, the hilt was unignited but the weapon was positioned in the defensive. Cal smiled at the eagerness of his daughter, the tiny lights that riddled the body of the training flickered open and then it hovered up and away from his palm. Using the Force, he gave it a little nudge towards Cassidy’s direction.

The young Kestis girl’s stance stiffened, eyes glued to the floating droid, her palms sweated and coated the sleeve of the saber. The slightest centimeter that the hovering sphere made, the girl’s eyes followed. Her thumb had already pressed against the switch, a blue blade hissed out of the emitter, and the sphere became more hostile in a sense.

The lightsaber mirrored where the training sphere hovered to, anticipating an attack; the two of you can sense the uneasiness in her which Cassidy herself confuses with determination, however, she meant well, she strived to do well especially in combat—witnessing the two of you perform combat techniques and fighting patterns which was ultimately impressive and spectacular in her eyes, she’s made it her personal goal to reach a level such as her Jedi parents.

“Relax, sweetie,” Cal instructed.

Although she tried to loosen her shoulders, they always tensed back up. When the droid found a window of opportunity, it zapped out two white projectiles in quick succession.

_Left. Right!_

She succeeded in deflecting the blasts, but a third one caught her off guard as she celebrated mentally too soon—a zap got her shin, bringing her to her knees to rub away the sting.

“Do not think that you’ve won—not until the enemy is down,” he interjected.

Cassidy pulled herself back up, resuming into the same position as she started, and narrowed her sights to the floating sphere only. The blue beam of light protected her from two more successive blasts, learning from her mistake earlier, she anticipated the third shot—and deflected it at the last minute.

A short exhale huffed out of your mouth, impressed, you watched her experiment with her stances combined with her handling of the saber and how effectively she defended herself with such a position.

“My girl’s a fighter,” you hummed within Cal’s earshot, an agreeing smirk from him was your reply.

The training sphere stepped up its game, going beyond three successive strikes and recalibrated its attack patterns, rendering its opponent clueless of its next move. It hovered to one side, releasing two quick projectiles to Cassidy’s right side, and then zoomed to the opposite direction to zap two more before she had time to react. The floating sphere did this a second time around which greatly frustrated the redheaded youngling.

She growled at the object, the hissing noise it made as it zoomed to the other direction annoyed her—as if mocking her—out of the four total blasts the droid made, she was able to deflect two: one for each side whenever the droid changed positions. Before it could get any worse, Cal abruptly cuts the session by freezing the sphere in place with the Force as he knelt down to Cassidy’s level.

“You’re getting angry,” he pointed out.

“I couldn’t hit the zaps!”

“That’s okay. The hardest part of fighting with a lightsaber is controlling your feelings and not letting it do things for you,”

This moment afforded Cassidy to clear her mind, going to a full mental restart before engaging the training remote again. When Cal returned to your side and gave the floor to Cassidy versus the training droid, the child tried to understand her father’s advice and apply it in reality. In fairness, she was able to do much better compared to what she was getting herself into moments ago.

“She reminds me of myself,”

“Never took you as the type to be easily frustrated,” Cal half-joked to which you responded with an exhale through your nostrils as you smiled.

“Oh, believe me, it took me a great deal of practice,”

Cal craned his head, catching a glimpse of your smirk—whether it was a proud smile for your daughter improving her skill or the fond memory of your childhood amused you—he found himself infected by it as the two of you watched over little Cassidy.


	9. A Padawan's Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I didn't have to switch on my PS4 just to customize a saber lol so I went to Saberforge's website and used their 3D build-a-saber feature to design Cassidy's lightsaber there. Here's the link to the image if you wanna see: https://imgur.com/a/3LowKKX

**_1 BBY_ **

Your slender fingers wove Cassidy’s bright, scarlet locks into tight, chunky braids. You hummed her favorite lullaby—a force of habit—as you secured the end of the braid with a band. She skipped towards the mirror hanging on the wall and let her fingertips glide over her hair.

“Is that how you like it?”

“Yes, Mommy, thank you!”

“You’re welcome, darling,” you received your thanks in full payment of a kiss and hug from Cassidy. “Go fetch your things now. Don’t forget about your jacket, okay?”

“Okay!” she hopped down from her bed and started rummaging through her cabinets for stuff that she’ll bring in the trip.

You excused yourself and exited her bedroom, Cassidy was too excited to coherently reply to your permission. The ten-year-old’s heart was racing, her mind imagined so many things that could possibly happen, and she began visualizing what the place would look like.

Due to her excitement, she didn’t realize that she had taken a bit of her time in packing. She had gone through a raincheck of the contents of her backpack thrice now. She hastily slung the bag on her shoulders and snatched her crumpled poncho lying on a pile.

“Coming, Mom!” she announced, speeding out of her bedroom to join her parents at the door.

She slipped her both her hands into you and Cal’s hands, the three of you left your homestead and trekked towards the Mantis waiting a few meters away from the house.

The ship’s entry ramp unfolded, Cassidy lets go of your hands when you’ve reached a certain distance between the ship, her backpack bobbed up and down in every step as she ran towards the luxury cruiser.

“Aunt Cere! Aunt Merrin!” Cassidy squeaked happily, attempting to fit both women in her scrawny arms.

“Cassidy! Look how big you’ve gotten!” Cere chuckled, her hand patted Cassidy’s head and then hovered it to the empty space to emphasize the girl’s height.

“Any longer and you might just out-tall me—if that’s even a word!” Greez came in waddling into the scene. He had all four of his arms open for Cassidy and she gladly threw herself into them.

“I grew three inches this month!” she bragged, then proceeded to tease him by tussling the non-existent hair on his head to further establish her taking the lead in this height race she has with the Lateron.

The captain grumbled, uncertain to the crew whether he was joking around or is genuinely frustrated that the once-tiny Kestis kid is getting taller and taller each month. You and Cal eventually caught up with the crew, greeting each other with embraces and claps on the shoulders or backs.

“She’s quite excited,” Cere’s eyes rolled to the side, referring to Cassidy who was now busy checking out the terrarium.

“Yeah, let’s hope the entire ordeal doesn’t deter her,”

“She’ll be fine, [y/n],”

Revisiting the engine room and then spotting the lone white cot on the side brought back a lot of memories, it’s as though a long time has passed since you and Cal slept here. It had become an extra room since the three of you have made a home by the forest in Zera III.

You approached the now-empty workbench, you weren’t used to seeing it bare, having only the non-slip mat left—it was eventually returned to its former, cluttered glory when Cal settled the toolboxes specifically for this trip.

“Everything she’ll ever need is right here,”

“Where is she?”

“With Greez at the cockpit,”

“Oh no, is she pestering him to teach her how to drive?” the idea seemed rich, you’re already imagining the Lateron dealing with the redheaded handful that is your daughter.

Cal’s mockingly pensive look and a quick glance to the direction of the door meant “yes.” The two of you laughed among yourselves, Greez’s shouts from the cockpit amplified the comedy that was playing out in your heads. When the laughter died down, you surveyed the quarters.

“Is it just me or did this room just got narrower?”

“Feels pretty much the same to me,”

“Yeah, brings back memories,”

Cal leaned closer to you, his warm breath blew on your shoulder and the hairs on your nape pricked up.

“Oh yeah, which ones?” he purred suggestively.

“Very funny,”

He teased you some more, brushing away the hair over your shoulders to expose your neck for his lips to brush against.

“Cal, not while she’s here,”

“We can always lock the door—say it suddenly jammed,” he nibbled your earlobe as his hand searched for yours to intertwine with.

He continued to suckle your neck, a weak yelp escaped your throat—his eyebrows flicked up upon hearing it, his lips curled in satisfaction as he continued prod the tip of his tongue to the crook of your shoulder. Your arm began to move by itself, reaching for the railing as support—you knew what your body was trying to make you do, with your only weapon being your willpower, your hand gripped the edge of the table instead.

“Well? How about it, love?” he sniggered.

You didn’t know why it pained you to pull yourself away, just when your body was beginning to heat up. You twirled to face him, looked him in the eye and gathered the guts to tell it to his face.

“Might I remind you that we have our daughter on board,” you steeled your voice, when you saw the puppy eyes being deployed, you bit your lip and fiddled with the buckle of Cal’s armor. “But later—when she’s sound asleep.”

A glint in Cal’s eye shone brighter than the white dwarf star found in Zera III’s sky. Amused, you stood on the tips of your toes to plant a tender kiss on his lips. You playfully clapped his chest with both of your hands before walking out of the quarters.

You switched on the holotable and typed the coordinates of Ilum. The message reflected on Greez’s computer and he charted the Mantis to its course.

“Now en route to Ilum!” the Lateron captain announced.

The family lounged in the holotable couch, Cassidy knelt behind Merrin in an attempt to braid her platinum hair which has grown dramatically over time—the length had already reached the center of her spine—and bantered with her father.

“Hey Dad, did you and Mom go to the Gathering together when you were younger?” Cassidy finally secured the twisted braid with a pin fastened to the back of Merrin’s head.

You and Cal exchanged glances, something warranted your eyes to meet. Then Cal quickly turned back to his daughter who now sat beside him on the sofa.

“No, we didn’t, unfortunately,”

“Would’ve been great if you did!”

“Yeah,” Cal trailed off, then returned his glance to you, a rather shy smile traced along his lips. “It would.”

The Mantis’s speed had slowed down, indicating your arrival in the planet’s orbit. Cassidy rushed to the cockpit. In her excitement, she stood between the seats, leaning closer and closer until she gets a better view of the ice-white planet that filled the roundness of her black pupils.

“Whoa, kid! Settle down, we’ll get closer in a few seconds!” Greez grumbled, both amused and overwhelmed by the kid’s wild hybrid of enthusiasm and excitement—honestly, he couldn’t tell which of the two anymore.

“Cassidy, you’ll hit your head once we get atmospheric turbulence,” Cal softly scolded as he assisted in flying the ship.

Cal cautioned her to buckle up and she ran to the nearest seat she could find—the chair opposite of Cere’s. The Mantis quaked as it cut through the thick clouds and heavy sheen of the snowstorm. Greez knew exactly where to the land—in the same spot behind a rock wall against the direction of the wind.

The child hopped out of her seat and sprinted towards the quarters where she had stashed her backpack. She moved with such brisk in the same fashion that one would be in when the phrase “This is not a drill” rings in an alarm. She slipped into the beige poncho with dark grey sleeves which she inherited from Cal. Despite the height she prided herself with, the poncho’s length fell to her shins—had she been shorter, it would have been a robe!

It didn’t bother her though, for she knew that it would keep her extra warm. She popped out of the quarters, the flap of the poncho billowing as she waddled about excitedly.

“Where’s Mom?”

“She’s already in the Temple,” Cal took her hand and the blizzard’s air wafted into the ship, sending literal chills down everybody’s spine.

“Cassidy,” the child glanced over her shoulder to the call of her name. “May the Force be with you.”

She repaid the greeting with a smile and then headed out of the ship. The coldest wind to have ever existed blew onto her already-numbing face, specks of ice pricked her freckled cheeks, and snowflakes have already adorned the twists of her braids as they billowed in the harsh winter gale.

“This blizzard is just the beginning, Cassidy! But don’t let it discourage you,” her father lectured as they stamped through ankle-deep snow—in Cassidy’s case, it’s calf-deep.

Her arm shielded her eyes as she felt the hand of her father on the small of her back, guiding her through the trek towards the entrance of the temple. A great mound of snow, perhaps meters thick, divided Cassidy and her kyber crystal.

“There’s no way we’re getting through this path,” Cal hinted, indirectly urging her to think for herself.

Admittedly, she didn’t anticipate that she’d be challenged head-on this soon. This didn’t discourage the Padawan, she unstrapped her backpack and fished out her own pair of climbing claws—she punched the wall, driving the metal nails into the rock face caked with ice and snow, and started scaling upward.

“Attagirl,” Cal muttered under his breath.

He watched his daughter scale the ice wall, Cassidy had become more acrobatic and lithe with her movements—something that she has utilized greatly to her advantage as she grew up with her training.

The beads of sweat freeze over her pores the second they come out, the closer she got to the top of the ice wall, the heavier her body felt.

“No…! Not now, not when I’m so close!!” she growled through clenched teeth, tugging her one arm out of the wall and then burying the claws again a few inches above her head to hoist herself up.

_Come on, Cassidy! Pull up!_

She coaxed herself mentally, a stripe of frosted sweat dripped along her temples until she finally reeled herself upward, scuttling through the snow to bring her body to the flat surface. She spotted a pair of boots planted on the soil, when she shot her head up, it was Cal; apparently, she was too caught up in reaching the top of the wall that she didn’t realize her father had beaten her to it. But it wasn’t a race, this was a trial—a trial that she had to face alone.

“Good job,” the emotion in Cal’s voice had unusually become stricter, almost sounding like Jaro Tapal. “We’ll be expecting you inside.”

Without awaiting a reply from her, he disappeared into the opening of the wall—Cassidy followed him into that opening and found an empty room. Another spherical entryway was found in the opposite side of the chamber; easily enough, she figured out the pulley mechanism to trigger the lens to open up, pooling the wall with golden light.

Cassidy followed the path that led to the platform overlooking the main foyer of the temple. She finds both of her parents by the ledge—her mother sitting erect yet relaxed while the father stood tall and proud, their backs turned against another lens.

As the daughter approached, her eyes widened at the sight of the largest crystal she’s ever seen—suspended from the ceiling, at the center of it all, white fog swirled in front of her as she exhaled her gasp.

“Impressive, and to think the main path had been blocked,” you began without prompt, drawing the attention of the girl to you. “But in this temple, you’ll find trials more challenging than the last. Finding one’s kyber is easier said than done. This whole place will test your mettle. Not only will the Force guide you to your crystal, but it will try you—constantly. Your training and skills are your only tools through this obstacle. We will keep a close eye on you, but everything you have to do—you do it _alone_. You do understand this, don’t you, Cassidy?”

“Yes,” she stiffened her demeanor and steeled her voice. “Yes, Master.”

“Good. May the Force be with you, my child.”

You channeled the Force towards the pulley mechanism, the latch tore off from the port and the metal cover rumbled to reveal a beam of the same warm, golden light. Cal aligned the giant crystal to the light, reflecting and extending the ray of light to the archway that has been frozen solid by another wall of ice. The ice transfigured into water at the mercy of the warm light and then turned to mist the instant it crashed against the snow.

That was Cassidy’s cue. Her Gathering had begun.

Marching through that archway felt like going through a portal to another dimension. Stagnant, cold air wafting through her freckled cheeks was her greeting, and the chill of the cave was her host. The spaciousness of the cavern took her breath away, freezing her lungs as she inhaled and relished in the unforgiving beauty and mystery of Ilum’s ice caves.

Surveying the vastness that stretched in front of her, no sign of her would-be crystal yet. Her eagerness has betrayed her.

“Come on, Cassy, keep moving,” she coaxed herself.

Cassidy aimed the center of the caverns with her eyes, then carved a path on her own towards the inner conclave—with her objective in mind—and disturbed the snow with the soles of her boots. There was an invisible line that she followed—she believed that it was the Force guiding her; but while she’s grateful of the guidance, the anticipation of a challenge, of a test, dangled in the back of her mind.

A rather narrow stone bridge appeared before her. It was fragile—almost _too_ fragile, in fact, that the slightest blow of wind made the rock crack and dust off tiny debris and snow. But on the other side of the beam was much more stable ground, she didn’t think that the sight of such would be so attractive.

“Only one way to find out,”

She puts one foot in front of the other, her pads of her toes touch the first inch, she cautiously brings the other foot next without putting too much of her weight; in a feathery grace, she stretches both her arms for balance as she treaded through the balance beam.

The sound of the bridge giving way was trying to discourage her, but with every light step she takes, she brushes away the thought. Not long enough, she’s made it to the end. Cassidy exhaled sharply upon her realization, but the stone was already crumbling beneath her feet, and so she sprang away a split-second before half of it collapsed, falling into the foggy abyss.

“Did you hear that?” you snapped from your meditation—a way of tracking where Cassidy probably is at the moment.

“She’s fine. I can feel her footsteps from here,”

“I know. But this could possibly be the first challenge she’s faced so far,”

At her arrival of the empty conclave, the statues—caked with snow and whose details have been eroded over time—welcomed her with their hands clasped together. Fascinated, she takes a step closer, examining their details and textures, looking past the snow that obscured their features. This conclave was also the center of a crossroads; each path seduced her with the same end goal, but what they don’t show her is what lies between the crystal and her.

Like any other youngling with the thrill of harvesting their kyber, she wasn’t thorough with her thought process. She’s unconsciously imposed a challenge upon herself when she began going in and out of each pathway. The longer she finds herself losing her bearings, her anxiety, frustration, and impatience combined became louder. The snow and the cold air delivered these emotions to you and Cal Kestis.

“Do you sense it, [y/n]?”

“Yes, so many,” you replied as-a-matter-of-factly. As tempting it might be, you restrained yourself from connecting with Cassidy through the Force.

 _Let her learn. Let her do this alone._ You chanted to yourself, training yourself do what’s on your mind.

It felt like the air had formed ice inside Cassidy’s lungs by now, after running around in circles for a good chunk of time. Vexed, she kicked a wad of snow against the tip of her boots; her little tantrum had allowed her to blow off some steam and thought of her Plan B.

 _Feel, don’t think._ Cassidy recalls the words of her mother.

Keeping herself grounded, she closed her eyes, and concentrated—just as you taught her. Through her mind, she entered each one and saw what they have laid—dangling the prize in front of her like bait to a fish—using her instincts, she assessed them one by one. The moment her eyes shot up, she knew exactly where to go.

Inside the tunnel, it was dim but at the corner of her eye, a mischievous twinkle played with her vision but she never doubted it. She knew what it was. Cassidy followed the gold spark until it revealed itself—hanging by the point of a stalactite like a droplet waiting to fall. A meters-wide gap separated her from the natural enclave where the crystal awaited her.

“That’s it. I know it!” she gasped.

Cassidy didn’t waste any time in heading towards the crystal that calls her. It was the only thing that filled her clear, dark irises. She proceeded to traverse the hostile terrain. Sprinting to her left side, the rock pillars became her stepping stones, bringing her ever closer to her objective. The ridge wall at the end of the path connected her to the enclave.

Due to her over-excitement, a jump done too soon nearly cost her life. Her own climbing claws had her literally hanging on for dear life. Her startled cry ricocheted between the icicles, the echo caused the icy chimes to jangle in a tone-deaf song, the wave of anxiety that sourced from the young Kestis girl alerted her parents.

“She’s found it,” Cal declared.

You could only imagine how Cassidy is holding up right now. That cry that the walls of the cave relayed a different message, but one thing is clear: she’s in the middle of a struggle right now, and she only has herself to depend on.

“Come on…” you mouthed, barely a noise parting from your lips.

Cassidy scaled the porous ice wall, digging the claws deeper through the layer of snow until she could hit something solid. Her arm hooked on the ledge, pulled herself up and squirmed farther away until she’s gotten her body on the ground. Her head angled up, the crystal glimmered so brightly like starlight that she had to blink away for a moment, and then returned her gaze to it afterwards.

Her legs dragged on, summoning herself towards the crystal. When she got close enough, the crystal nestled between her fingers and she gave it a good, quick tug. She let the yellow shard roll on the whole of her palm, her heart leapt and she felt the air in her lungs warm up. She exhaled until her breathing transitioned into a triumphant laugh.

“I got it…!” she annunciated.

The second half of the challenge was finding her way back. Seeing that some portions of the path that led her here were only a one-time use; she retraced her steps—except the stone bridge that gave way, she had to think of another way. Fortunately, she was able to improvise another bridge by Force-pushing a boulder on her left side—landing it into a clean incline for her to slide down on.

From there, things were now easy for Cassidy. She hiked the snow-caked path and found the archway from whence she came. The sight of the giant crystal in the foyer washed relief over the young one, she kept her head high in search of her parents. They appeared before her, proud smiles riddled their faces to welcome her back.

“Well done, Cassidy,” you beamed.

“You have found your kyber crystal, despite the challenges that the Force bestowed in your path. Now, it’s time for you to construct your saber.”

Her parents regrouped with her on the ground level, she followed them to the entry blocked by the mound of snow. You and Cal glanced over your shoulders, fixating your eyes on your daughter.

“Together?” Cal invited.

The child beamed, she tucked her knees and extended her arms—mimicking the posture of her parents—and mustered all the Force she could gather in her being to blast away the mound of snow that barred their exit.

The storm had subsided when they got back out in the open. The family returned to the ship, and they were greeted back by the crew members, Cassidy was especially excited to show off the tiny yellow shard that rested between her fingers. Cal beckoned her to the workbench in his old quarters and showed her the toolboxes filled with components.

“There’s so many to choose from! How will I know which one is the right one for me?”

“You meditate on it as you build, trust your feelings. The Force will help you,” he directed. “It will guide you to what is best for you.”

“Okay… I’ll try, Dad,”

“There’s a good girl,” he kissed her forehead. “I shall leave you to it now. May the Force be with you, Cassidy.”

First, she dug through the container of components. For each and every part she examined, she selected the ones that might have struck something in her, much like a magnetic force that attracted her to it. When it was apparent that she’s finished choosing the parts—from the sleeve down to the emitter—she laid them out in a neat, straight line one by one, with the kyber crystal at the center of it all.

She took a deep breath, relaxed her entire body and began reaching out to the Force for assistance. Even with her vision shrouded, the components moved to her whim—they fittingly connect with one another. Her crystal nestled underneath her switch, the sleeve and pommel latched together. When the final click came from the emitter, she opened her eyes and found the finished product lying in front of her.

Shaky hands cradled the completed hilt, her thumb trailed towards the switch—she hesitated for a second before pressing it—the yellow beam that hissed out of the emitter startled her, but she quickly smiled it off and stared at the golden glow of her very _own_ lightsaber. Finally giving it a feel, she waved it carefully in the narrow space, it hummed to the motion of its owner and she fancied a single basic spin with it.

Her heart jumped with joy, butterflies fluttered all over her stomach, and she celebrated this victory within herself. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of the bright golden beam.

“I did it… I DID IT!!” she squealed from the room, not knowing that her entire family overheard her little celebration.


	10. The Advent of an Alliance

Cassidy darts out of the quarters, her precious unignited saber in hand, and kept announcing the words, “I did it!”

Everyone turned to the scarlet-haired child. She wanted to make sure everyone got a closer look of the saber that she has constructed all on her own, she was three times proud of herself than her parents combined. Her quirky disposition somehow reminded you and Cal individually of your childhoods—the medley of thrill and anxiety at the Gathering, the accomplishment of constructing the saber down to the last component all by oneself, and the satisfying hum of the saber blazing out of the emitter that cements their being a Jedi.

“Ooh, it turned out quite beautifully, Cassidy!” you grinned, leaning closer to get a look of the overall design.

It was neat and sleek, simple yet elegant—you strongly believed that the lightsaber reflected her, not just by personality, but also her fighting style.

Two years prior this Gathering, it was too soon to figure out what lightsaber form Cassidy was inclined to using. However, it was vital that she’d be exposed to all seven forms—you and Cal have made it clear that it wasn’t a hard requirement for her to master each and every one. Although her capabilities appear to drift between Form I: Shii-Cho and Form III: Soresu—the latter is the most prominent.

“You think so, Mom?”

“Of course. I never doubted you for a moment, my girl,”

She rung her little arms around your neck, naturally, you hugged her back—wrapping your arms around her small back and playfully shaking her in the middle of it.

“Go ahead and play now, if you like, but we’ll get clean up in a bit, okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded and then turned to BD-1 sitting on the sofa. “Come on, BD!”

“Trill, bee!”

The two friends scampered along, the droid followed wherever the girl went—fetching her three favorite toys: the Binog named Nog, the Bogling who’s been called Bog ever since her infancy, and the Shyyyo Bird she fondly referred to as Shy and then placing them all in the lounge.

While Cassidy played away with BD-1 and her stuffed animals, you headed to the bathroom to draw a warm bath. You politely interrupted Cassidy’s playtime to clean her up—starting with taking off her snowflake-covered poncho, you brought her to the bathroom and cleaned her there: wiping her face clean of frost and snow until the freckles and the pinkness of her cheeks stood out more, rinsed and lathered her head well enough to make sure the snowstorm hadn’t hardened her hair into a red, solid sheet.

Finally, she sported a dark green jacket and black pants—an ensemble that nearly looked identical with Cal’s, spare the armor. She returned to her playtime and kept her saber close, even though it’ll be a long while before she could actually use it. Eventually, in the middle of the trip, exhaustion has taken over little Cassidy until she had fallen asleep in the middle of her playtime—BD-1 didn’t want to disturb her so he set himself to sleep mode as well, sitting with his legs tucked underneath his body on the table, along with the toys, and her arms crossed together acted like a pillow but her saber was trapped in her hand. You’re endeared by the sight—you first pulled away the saber in her hand and then carried her to the couch where she’ll be comfortable, you replaced the saber with the Binog as the child continued to dream

“Sleep tight, baby,” you whispered and leaned to forehead to plant a kiss.

You retired to Cal’s former quarters and found himself busy against the workbench. He turned around to acknowledge your presence.

“She and BD are taking a nap,”

Cal paused from his handiwork, “Oh?”

“Yeah, I just tucked her in on the couch in the lounge,” you leaned casually against the door with your arms crossed and a smirk traced all over your lips.

“You’re not too busy, I hope,” your husband purred as he started pacing towards you.

The smirk on your face extended, chuckling through your nostrils as you play along with the act. You rolled your eyes in a thoughtful manner and then shrugged your shoulders seconds later.

“I don’t think so,”

“Good,”

A single flimsy wave of his two fingers and the audible crunch of a button clicked right next to your ear. He maintained that smug look in his face, you smiled off the growing tension ripping between the gap that he’s closing with every step closer to you.

“I’m afraid the door’s jammed,” you jokingly point out the obvious.

“How unfortunate,”

He planted his palms flat against the wall on both of your sides, trapping you between his arms; he’s surprised that you’ve kept your demeanor steady for this long. You slid down while keeping his eyes on him, giving him the false hope of you submitting to him, but you only did so to slip underneath his arms to retreat to the workbench.

“So, what is it that you’ve been busying yourself with?”

He sighed and then went after you, “I’m recalibrating the Mantis’s shared-line transponder, Cere thinks that it’s taking a few seconds before the signal reaches our home.”

“Any luck so far?”

“Haven’t tested it yet,” his warm breath blew over your shoulders, goosebumps crawled all over your arms. His hands slithered down to your thighs and dug his fingers deep into your flesh.

“Do you plan to?”

“I have other things in mind,”

His fingers clawed their way up to clutch your waist; he goes on to leave a trail of kisses on your neck—gradually bruising them as he gingerly nips away at your skin—you crane your head up, giving in to his lips. You absentmindedly put aside the transponder to the far side of the worktable. He quickly lifted you up to the surface of the table the instant you turned to face him; he denied you a chance to speak or react using his lips, his tongue slithering into your mouth and exploring your taste.

Even with your eyes closed, you managed to unzip his jacket, pale skin popped out of the clothing and he shook off the sleeves until he was bare—he did the same to you and rucked up your tank top. A chuckle rumbled in your throat, it rang seductively into his ears as his lips ghosted over the groove between your breasts.

Cal hooked his arms around your thighs while his tongue flicks your nipple inside his mouth, a squeak escaped your throat—keeping yourself quiet amidst this heating ecstasy was a struggle, you didn’t want to wake Cassidy with your screaming Cal’s name. He pulled away for a moment only to shush you and then rested you flat against the white, narrow bed.

“Hush now, we wouldn’t wanna disturb Cassidy’s nap,”

“I’ll be good then,” you mewled.

He brushed his lips to yours to silence you, his tongue tracing along the line of your bottom lip while you prod yours into his mouth.

Hours later, both of you cuddled in your former bed, truly reliving the old days but feeling like you’re still back to the time where all of you were just wondering where to go next. You opted to take a shower and wore your jacket lousily until you found your way to the bathroom. While you bathed, Cal stepped out of the quarters to fix himself a glass and spotted Cassidy already up and about.

She stood in the very center of the ship—just in front of the lounge’s table—testing out her saber, waving it around the same way she would with the practice saber back home. Cal watched her from the dining table, making stances of her own mixed with the standard ones taught to her, he smiled to himself when he saw her attempt a flourish spin.

“Be careful when you do that, sweetie, we wouldn’t want Greez to find a slash on the ceiling,”

Cassidy spun around, startled by her father’s remark. She was so absorbed with her solo practice session that she wasn’t unaware of his presence; a bright red colored over her freckles as she realized this rookie mistake.

“Sorry, Dad, I… I figured you were there,”

“I guess you concentrated a bit too much on your saber,”

Unable to respond, she was guilty of that claim, she averted her eyes from her father—slightly embarrassed—and then turned to her saber, examining the smooth black hilt rolling in the palm of her hand.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, I’m not mad,”

“I should’ve really known your presence seconds ago,” she mumbled disappointingly to herself.

Cal walked away from the dining and towards his daughter. He knelt down to her level and plants his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s easy to get lost in emotions—especially excitement—but that doesn’t mean you’re less of what you’ve become. That saber is an extension of you; it’s only natural that you’re taking your time with it. Just remember to be mindful of your feelings and your surroundings, we’ll learn more on that when we get home. Will you be ready by then?”

Cassidy’s soulful, dark eyes lit up and her mouth stretched into a wide smile on her little face.

“Am I ever!?”

“That’s my girl,” he tussled her hair and leaned in to brush his beard against her cheek. “Itchy kisses!”

“Aaaagh, no! Not the itchy kisses, Dad!”

It was too late for Cassidy to run away from the clutches of her dad, he had already locked her in his arms at the mercy of his beard tickling her cheeks and neck. Her laughter, a voice that’s sweet and silky like honey, chimed across the entire ship. Eventually, she slipped away from her father’s grasp and snatched up both Nog and Shy—as protection, she pecked Cal’s head using the little Shyyyo Bird’s cotton-stuffed beak.

“Oh no, the Great Shy has attacked me!”

Cal’s baritone laugh mingled with his daughter’s high-pitched giggles. You were attracted the sound and led you to the galley as soon as you stepped out of the quarters after getting dressed. The sight of father and daughter instantaneously warrants a smile across your face. You discover Cassidy splayed like a bird, with her Shyyyo Bird in hand as if mimicking its flight, while being carried in Cal’s arms—your husband gently swerved and bobbed your daughter up and down.

You sneak up on them, picking up Bog along the way and bounced the toy across Cassidy’s back.

“Hey, you forgot to bring little Bog on the trip with Shy!” you cooed.

“Oh, that’s right! Bog always loves to go higher than he can jump!” Cassidy concurred.

BD-1 joined in on the game when he used his little turbojets to give Nog a joyride flight along with the Kestis family.

“Alright, BD! Glad you brought Nog with you!” the child yipped. “Now everyone’s joined in!”

The four of you have lost yourselves in the dreamy, imaginary world where Boglings can ride Shyyyo Birds and a droid can carry a Binog on top of its head as it flew—a fantasy world that your little daughter had created. The parents had a bit too much fun playing with their daughter that they didn’t realize the Mantis had already finished its landing cycle.

“Uh, didn’t wanna interrupt your fun time there but we’re back at Zera now,” Greez announced as he awkwardly put himself into the scene of the Kestis family bonding.

“Oh, we’re home!” Cassidy squirmed away from her father’s arms, she couldn’t wait anymore for him to lower her to a safer height. She speeds out of the ship, ultimately forgetting about her backpack and only brought her lightsaber with her.

“Well, kid’s been homesick after being in that snowcone of a planet, huh?” Greez pointed the empty space over his shoulder with his two right thumbs.

“Yeah, I think she’s become more comfortable with the climate here in Zera,” Cal chuckled.

The two of you collected your possessions from the quarters and the rest of the crew accompanied you to the door.

“We’ll see you soon!” you bade.

“Don’t be a stranger, you two. After all, this _is_ still your home,” Cere added.

* * *

**_FIVE MONTHS AFTER CASSIDY’S GATHERING_ **

The parents’ shifted in where they stood, watching Cassidy with great interest with her change of tactics; the question of what she’s planning to do next buzzed with anticipation.

The droid repeated its attack pattern, and Cassidy was about to put her plan into play. It would appear that her free hand acted as some sort of anchor to balance herself in her stances, her knees were buckled, and her movements were quite lively—matching up to the pace of the droid’s current pattern.

It was apparent that Cassidy had become more adept in fighting with her own lightsaber, compared to using only a plain prototype. The theory that having one’s own lightsaber amplified a Jedi’s skill lingered in your minds together, but the thought was immediately brushed off, returning your attention to the child.

The floating sphere suddenly became more aggressive, but that didn’t faze Cassidy. She’s delved in too deep with her one-on-one with this ball in the air, the sight of her parents were nothing but a mere blur in her vision now. The sphere zoomed in a quite abrupt speed, Cassidy’s head jerked to follow it, and sprang to its direction; affording only a second, she bounced off of her heels, planted the soles of her feet against a tree trunk—banking more air so she could make a jumping attack against the training droid, which looked up too little too late.

Two halves of what the droid was made out of plopped to the bed of earth.

“So-Sorry, I got carried away there,” she stammered while having the kick of adrenaline still in her blood vessels, it confused her parents why she was so apologetic about that.

“Not at all,” Cal rebutted. “For a moment there, you looked like you planned it all by yourself—at the expense of only a few seconds.”

“That’s quite impressive, to think fast within such a small window of chance,” you added. “That’s a remarkable trait that you should hone, Cassidy.”

“Really?”

In reply, you flick your eyebrows up while Cal busied himself with something.

“Let’s try something else—it’s pretty much the same as our daily instruction, but you can’t improve without a challenge in the way,”

Cal places a helmet with an opaque visor that covered her eyesight.

“Uh, how am I supposed to see the enemy—or the training sphere, in this case?”

“The eyes can deceive, but if you trust the Force as well as your instincts and emotions—letting it guide and flow within you, only then will the lack of sense of sight not be such a disadvantage. Let’s begin.”

There was no room for Cassidy to argue on that. She positioned herself in a stance, her yellow blade hummed lowly next to her ear and the hissing of the replacement training remote drowned out the sound of the insects and critters lurking amongst the trees.

Her anxiety was very evident—the calm exterior that she demonstrated while she still could use you eyesight had been reduced to a hunched, shaky demeanor.

“Relax,”

She rounded her lips to release the air that she had been keeping in her lungs, readjusted her fingers’ grip around the sleeve of the hilt; her ears twitched at the hiss of the training droid—indicating that it had moved, but to where?

Fair enough that her blade mirrored where the sphere had hovered to, though it was tricky to predict the timing of its attacks. Cassidy allowed herself to loosen, giving a part of herself to the Force.

One. Two.

 _On your left._ She mentally coached herself, but it felt like she was only repeating the words the Force was telling her.

Three. Four.

_Top._

Five!

The droid’s aggressive attack patterns were denied of a target from the young Padawan. The child never ceased to surprise you and your husband. For the next two waves of attack from the sphere, she was only hit once in total of three rounds against the hovering ball.

“Very good, Cassidy,” he affirmed. “Now, let’s change instruction.”

Cal produced a bipedal training droid into the scene, perhaps standing about 5’8, compared to the child who was a solid five-footer; its body was coated by its own shield generator, a single contact on any part it will automatically disable by itself—indicating success to the wielder who has tapped the shield with their weapon. This was a design that Cal took pride in—it was both efficient and innovative, without needing to harm either the droid or the live wielder.

The humanoid droid wielded an electrobaton, similar to the Scout Trooper’s weapon. The towering height may have taken the little one aback, but when her hand tightened, her nerves remembered the feel of the saber hilt.

Bringing both of her hands around the sleeve, she stood in front of the droid, holding a lunging stance with the enemy at the point of her blade—she anticipated the nearly-sentient being’s next move. It thrusted its baton towards her and quickly went out of its line of fire. However, the droid was quick to deflect her overhead strike. They traded strikes—the sunshine gold blade parrying against the indigo lightning crackles contained at one end of a stick.

“Cal, do you read?”

Cal’s comlink rang and he replied to acknowledge Cere.

“I’ve picked up a signal that came in. It’s a gunship, but not Imperial. I think it’s Mari Kosan,”

His eyebrows furrowed. What would she want to do here?

He asked Cere to verify if it was really her vessel and if it really was her aboard it; no doubt about it, the ship that just arrived is the partisan.

“Did she transmit anything?”

“She only asked where you’d be,” Cere received the coordinates of the Kestis homestead’s area coordinates from Cal in reply.

You sensed the distant growling of a ship’s throttle—distinctively different from the Mantis’s—and glanced to the side, to your husband for some enlightenment.

“It’s Mari,”

Your reaction was the mirror image of his own mere moments ago when Cere connected to his comlink. He noticed that your eyes have trailed away for a second, and he’s sensed it too—the gunship has touched the forest moon’s soil. There was a wordless exchange between you and Cal, he marched out of the clearing and you stayed put in watching over your daughter’s training session.

Cal personally met with Kosan, her ship had docked a few miles away from the homestead’s vicinity; he had already spotted her reaching halfway of the house. Mari immediately noticed Cal coming from the other direction and shifted there, she was flanked by four more soldiers.

The distance was now close between the Jedi and the partisan. They exchange greetings, simply by mentioning their names.

“It’s been a while,” Mari followed up.

“A few years or so,”

“How are you and [y/n]?”

“We’re holding up quite well—better than Ilaro, actually,”

“So sorry to hear what happened there,” she hung her head low. “It was your home albeit for a short time.”

“Yeah, it took us by surprise. Neither of us imagined that the Empire would get there, but at this kind of time, it shouldn’t come off as such,”

Mari Kosan hummed in reply, an agreeing tone at that. A brief moment hung between man and woman. Then in the silence, Mari had sensed Cal’s question coming on, so she beat him to it.

“Ever heard from Saw?”

“Not lately, why?”

“The last time my contacts found him, they told me he was close by this system,”

Cal flung his arms, gesturing the wide nothingness except for the green plains where they stand.

“And then they told me that the two Jedi who helped us in Kashyyyk lived in the said system.” Mari finished.

“I didn’t even know Saw had been close to us, geographically speaking. Ever since we got here, it was just the people in the Mantis, my wife and I, and—”

Mari spotted you coming out of the forest, catching a glimpse of his daughter holding your hand, Cal immediately followed where the partisan’s eyes were. You joined his side in front of Mari, standing behind your hip—almost as if hiding herself from the strangers—is Cassidy.

“Your daughter, no doubt. She has your hair and her mother’s eyes,” Mari pointed. “She’s a beautiful child.”

“Thank you,”

“Hello there,” Mari’s expression warmed to meet the child.

“Hi…” the child’s voice was barely inaudible, still shy of these armed people whom she’s seen for the very first time.

“Mari, it’s been a while,” you greeted.

“Yes, too long if I may say so,” she greeted back, speaking for the fine lines etching across her cheekbones and jaw.

“What’s this visit all about?”

Your inquisitive tone slightly shook the aging partisan, but she smiled the assumed tension away and answered directly.

“There’s a base in another moon, Yavin IV, where it’s safer. The rebellion. It’s been established a year ago, the growth is slow, but we have good people there—some of the partisans from Kashyyyk have already been moved there, either by their own volition or they’ve been scouted or endorsed. When I heard that you two were here, I knew I had to seek you out,”

“And you want to recruit us—as fighters? Just like back in Kashyyyk years ago?”

Your hold around Cassidy’s shoulder slowly reeled her in closer to you, imaginings of skirmishes flashed in your mind—back then, it felt like an honor to fight; but now that you have a family to take care of, second thoughts always followed behind.

“That decision lies with you alone. But I’d be lying if I said you won’t be fighting or encountering any danger. Still, it’s better than hopping from one planet or moon to the next just to elude the Empire without anyone but yourselves—that’s not exactly the most ideal lifestyle for a family.”

Husband and wife traded questioning glances, still not biting into Mari’s pitch.

“Think of it this way, you’ll have good people—some of whom you may know—surrounding you in a safe place. These people are fighting for the same thing—freedom, for _all_ of the systems that the Empire has robbed of opportunities and own choices. Everybody’s tired of the suffocation, we’re just the handful of people who wanted to do something about it.”

Cal looked to you, he had sensed you’d been deliberating with yourself ever since Mari started pitching. Your eyes rolled down to Cassidy, she had been listening even though she barely grasp the concept of what this older woman is trying to pursue.

When she was received with silence and pensive stares, she collected her breath after that speech.

“The offer still stands, I’ll be in touch with you—Cere has a hold of my signal. Think about it, Cal, [y/n]. For your child’s sake,”

She turned face, she and her soldiers marched their way back to their gunship. You and your husband watched the group disappear from the glade. Cal shepherded mother and child to the homestead as night fell.

For hours, Cal felt your uneasiness, he had caught the shudders in your arms and hands whenever the two of you touch—accidentally or otherwise. That night, you had just finishing bathing Cassidy in time for bed, the sheen of her hair shone against the lamp’s light as you brushed her in neat, smooth strokes.

“Mom, who was that lady earlier?”

“That was Mari, a friend of ours. We fought bad guys together,”

“Why did she say that the other place is safer?” she turned around to face you, unintentionally moving away from the brush. “Are we in trouble here? Because I don’t sense any trouble or anything. It’s been really nice here.”

Her dark irises gleamed in the lamplight. For you, it was like looking back in a mirror—but it felt more like looking back and talking to your younger self of that exact age.

“What Mari means is that the other place, called Yavin, is much safer because we’ll have our other friends there,” you continued to brush her hair in that angle. “Unlike here: it’s just you, me, Daddy, aunts Cere and Merrin, and Greez.”

“Well, if the bad guys ever find us, I’ll help you and Dad in fighting them. I got my saber right here!” she extended her hand, pulled in her saber from the nightstand to her hand using the Force—proving her conviction.

“My, what a brave girl you’ve become,” you crooned, gently taking the weapon away from her hand, putting it back down on the nightstand and then cupping her cheeks. “I’m so proud.”

“Is our little girl ready for bed?” Cal popped into the room, joining you on Cassidy’s bed.

“I was just about to, Daddy,”

“Well, time to tuck you in, little champ!”

“You should’ve seen her earlier with the droid—evading its attacks like a Jedi Master,”

“Did she now?”

“Yeah, I went like _this!_ And then _that!_ ” the child towered over her parents, standing up on her bed as she reenacted her movements from the training session earlier.

Cal caught her before she could get carried away and hurt herself off the bed, but he still encouraged and affirmed her, boosting her morale on her Jedi training.

“Any more training and you might beat me!”

“Yeah, I sure am!”

“Aww, I can’t let that happen—not until my scruffy kisses have something to say about it!”

Cal attacked Cassidy with his stubble, tickling her with his fingers wiggling across her sides while pricking her cheeks with the ends of his beard. Laughter squeaked out of the little girl’s throat, kicking and pushing away her dad but to no avail. Only when she had called you for her rescue did Cal ceased to attack her with tickles.

“Alright, alright, more tickles to come if you don’t go lights out now,” you playfully scolded.

“Okay, Mom, good night!” she leaned closer, wrapping you in a hug as she kissed your cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetie. And Daddy?”

Cassidy jokingly hesitated and wagged her finger at Cal, “No scruffy kisses?”

“No scruffy kisses, I promise,”

That was good enough for Cassidy. She threw her arms around Cal and aimed for his freckled cheeks to which he kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her as well. Over her shoulder, Cal exchanged glances and small smiles with you.

“Alrighty now, my little Padawan, good night,”

“Good night, Daddy, I love you,”

“I love you too, munchkin,”

You switched off the lamp on her nightstand, leaving the bedroom together with Cal. You stopped yourself in your tracks, turning around to see Cassidy falling asleep peacefully, warm in her bed under her wool blanket. Cal stood behind you, watching your daughter.

“When we had Cassidy, I never imagined it to be like this,” you shake your head, arms crossed while leaning against the door frame. “Yet somehow, I’ve always known such a time like this would come.”

Cal rested his chin over your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your waist while thoughtfully looking at your baby girl, “It’s not an easy childhood, but it’s the lengths that we do to keep her safe. To keep our family safe. She’ll understand when she’s older—we’ll help her understand.”

You peered to your side, Cal flashes a small yet fond smile. He inched closer, kissing your cheek; he takes your hand and spirits the two of you away from Cassidy’s bedroom.


	11. The Spark of Hope

The Kestis family and the Mantis crew eventually decided to join this alliance with the objective of stopping the Empire at all costs. They took up the offer a month after Mari Kosan had personally approached them.

For young Cassidy, it was a big adjustment, having to leave the home she knew back in Zera III and begin to live in a new home. The child had mixed feelings about it, she had sensed the uneasiness of her parents when they prepared for their departure that day.

“I never saw a planet that red before,” she gasped, gawking at Yavin’s main planet that they passed by as they approached the moon’s atmosphere.

When the Mantis had cut through the skies and had full view of the forests that covered the land mass. All of a sudden, little Cassidy didn’t feel a bit homesick anymore.

“It’s… almost like home,” she softly uttered, the treelines reminded her of the wide, green dells of Zera.

Greez prepared the Mantis to land near the open area in front of the sandstone structure. Upon closer look, it would’ve been a temple when it was still in its prime. The entire family was greeted by Mari Kosan, who went out of her way to meet with them as soon as she saw that familiar ship flying into their radar.

The bustle of the temple-turned-base of operations fascinated the young Jedi. Never has she ever seen a different kind of ship besides the Mantis, she had to step back while keeping her head titled up—emphasizing the gargantuan size of the fighter ships.

The new feeling was a two-way road: for the adults working in the base, it was new for them to see a kid running around—understandably so, it was someone’s daughter. As for Cassidy, she wasn’t used to _this_ much people in a single place, she felt small and therefore found more solace with her family.

“This place is _so much_ bigger than our house, Mom!” she exclaimed.

“Well, it _is_ a base after all, darling,”

“Did they build that too?” she points to the pyramid.

“No, it looked like it’s been there way before they even came here,”

Much like her lifestyle in Zera III, Cassidy found herself a spot where she can practice her saber techniques in peace without being in the way of the adults working in the base. It’s no surprise that her spot was another clearing in the forest, little did she know that she was in full view of the scouts in the watchtowers but they didn’t mind her that much, it was also only a few meters away from the base so she can find her way back on her own.

Her parents eventually found her spot, thanks to a watchtower scout, and they continued their training—almost as if nothing happened. Over time, her skills improved and she was able to spar with her parents—something that she has been secretly dreaming even before she had her own saber constructed.

“You’re catching up real quick!” Cal encouraged.

“Well, I’ve been practicing all week, Dad!”

“Don’t get cocky then, Cassy!”

Cassidy’s combat techniques had evolved from sticking to only Form I: Shii-Cho to being a practitioner of Form III: Soresu, occasionally making a medley out of the first four forms if the situation arises. It was a blatant contrast to her father’s combined forms—which were technically powerful, swift, nearly-brutish in terms of movement, and is highly likely to be overwhelming for an unskilled opponent.

You observed that Cassidy was more in the offensive and Cal was being defensive in his stances. He surely didn’t go easy on sparring against his daughter.

“You confuse your confidence with arrogance, keep yourself grounded—literally and figuratively!” Cal lectured as he proceeded to lunge at her, to which she barely dodged by a hair. “Celebrating too early will cloud your judgment. You may think you’re winning—but you’re getting closer to loss.”

From that, Cassidy became more conservative with her attacks, timing for the right window of opportunity to get a jab at Cal, he disarmed her when he made a flurry of combos against her to the point that the grip on her saber had weakened and led her scuttling on the dust. The tip of his lightsaber hovered mere inches away from the front of her face.

“Well, Cassidy?”

This isn’t how Cassidy pictured herself in today’s instruction. While she had her father thinking that she’s submitted to the ground, she mustered her energy in her hands and Force-pushed her father away. It wasn’t a strong push, but enough to stagger him away from her so she can reach for her saber.

Igniting it the second the weapon reunites with her hand, she lunged for an overhead strike to which Cal flimsily deflected while trying to regain her footing.

“Impressive,” he commented as the colors of their blades mixed in the tight space between them. Cassidy pulled away before she could let the weight of her father overcome her in the block. “Most impressive.”

Cal switched his saber off, signaling the end of today’s session. Cassidy made a celebratory spin of her saber before turning it off.

“You’re learning everyday,” you added.

“There are just some parts that I can’t get right,”

“You’ll have plenty of time to work on that, sweetie. Come on, it’s time for lunch, Greez is making your favorite,”

“Alright!!”

Cassidy raced out of the forest, forgetting to wait for her parents and simply dashed towards the Mantis. You and Cal exchange insights on your daughter from today’s session.

“She’s becoming more and more skillful. She really is a born fast learner,”

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t think she’d do a Force-push on me. That was quite creative of her,”

Cal insisted that his daughter had inherited tactfulness and adaptiveness from you.

“Yes well, she got that tinge of recklessness from you,” you rebutted, half-jokingly.

The two of you walked out of the clearing and followed Cassidy to the Mantis. Apparently, she was waiting for you by the entry ramp, when she had caught sight of her parents she disappeared into the ship, probably helping out set the table inside.

“If there’s one thing Cassidy is weak for—it’s fried Nuna legs,” Cal quipped, nothing but a chuckle from you became his reply.

The first few months have been peaceful, yet there was always the looming fear that war will come here and ravage the moon. Your only comfort being you’ll be fighting with good people and in numbers.

—–

**_0 BBY, IN THE TIMELINE OF “A NEW HOPE”_ **

In the midst of the committee, he was held in high regard, looked upon with great esteem, they turned to him whenever the subject matter felt like his insight was crucial. He was a constant figure among the meeting rooms in the base. They didn’t look down on him due to his second origin of being a scrapper, as a matter of fact, he had the same knowledge as their engineers.

“Master Kestis,” a voice, faceless among the crowd in the meeting room. He had insisted everyone to simply call him by his first name, but out of force of habit, they end up addressing him as Master.

When he knew that it was hopeless for him to correct them, he turned to that voice in the room that addressed him. His glance prompted them to continue.

“Do you think it’s plausible to have a far-range receiver to pick up the Empire’s signal?”

A brief pause allowed him to think. He returned his attention to the holograph where they had gathered.

“Well, the concept is similar to something I’ve designed for our previous home. But to make its range farther—for instance, from the surface to off-planet—we’re gonna have to need a stronger satellite, calibrate it with an open channel frequency, and once we test it, we can figure out how far our dummy ship’s signal can be picked up once it’s out of the moon. The farther, the better—it means that we can pick up the Empire in our radar before they even realize it.”

“It’s an ambitious design, but not impossible,” Gial Ackbar, the Mon Calamari admiral, interjects. “It’s sure to help us buy time when the need to evacuate comes.”

“We’ll see what we can do in the drawing board,” the head engineer added, stroking his grey-white beard as if he’s come up with an idea to add up to Cal’s concept. “I think we can do that on one of the prototype transponders we have to communicate with the pilots from their ships once they’re off the planet.”

“That could work, I’d like to see it some time, if you don’t mind, Head Engineer,”

“My boy, it will be a delight if you stop by!” the old head engineer chuckled, tucking his hands into the pockets of his long, white coat.

The meeting was adjourned after a few more discussions varying between the Empire and the base’s own resources. Everyone else dispersed in the meeting room and Cal was one of the first people to leave the room, trading curt nods at fellow rebels as he passed by the hallways.

Cal wore many hats and served them one by one—sometimes even juggling two at a time. But past the formalities, the conferences, and the ceaseless interaction with the diplomats, he always returns to the one role he has been taking on for eleven years.

“Dad! Watch me train with Mom!” Cassidy comes running up to her dad in the hangar and he catches her in his arms.

“I wouldn’t miss it, sweetie,”

“Then we’ll spar, right?”

“You betcha!”

Father and daughter appear into the forest clearing where you had been waiting for the two of them. Cassidy slipped her hand away from her dad, Cal gently holds you by the cheek and pulls you in for a kiss.

“Darling, you’re back,”

“I missed you,”

“It was only for an hour or two,”

“Yeah well, meetings aren’t really my thing,” the bridge of his nose crumpled, playfully making a grimace as he stretches his arms upward and wraps one of them around your shoulder. “ _This_ is a bit more of my thing.”

Bemused, you rolled your eyes and found his hand on your shoulder, “Which one—today’s instruction or me?”

He inched close and grinned, the tips of your noses brushing against one another, “Both.”

His lips pecked yours, but he doesn’t plan to let go of you any moment soon.

Now at eleven years old, Cassidy continued to prove her potential as a Jedi.

The child was lithe and nimble, using them to her advantage whether in combat or traversing the terrain of the obstacle course that her parents had built together. Her strategical skills were put into good use in that training course.

Her liveliness in combat was balanced out in using the Force and meditating, courtesy of you, no less.

“You’re getting better at the fighting,” you initiated, eventually slipping away from Cal’s arm. “But let’s see how you’ll fare _without_ your weapon.”

Using the Force, you spirited away the saber from Cassidy’s small hand. She didn’t have time to react on it and realize that you’re stealing away her saber.

“Oh, don’t think about pulling the same trick as you did with your dad,”

There was stern tone in your voice, just hearing it made Cassidy’s stomach churn. To reassure her that it was going to be a fair fight, you removed your saber from the designated hook on your belt and joined it with Cassidy’s atop a rock’s flat surface.

“There will come a time that you’ll be robbed of your weapon—mostly by your enemies. And when that happens, you’re essentially bare—but don’t let that deter you. The weapon you have next to your saber is yourself. Now then…”

It occurred to her that she had to wield only the Force and engage in hand-to-hand combat against _you_. You seldom engage in any form of combat with Cassidy—because that was more of Cal’s work—but it was only this one time where she saw you throwing fists and delivering kicks. She’s seen you fight with a lightsaber, but rarely with your bare hands.

Your own daughter was surprised to face her mother—who was barely angry or aggressive, always sweet and doting—not once did Cassidy ever imagine you challenging her. Then again, you were a Jedi, she knew that you would eventually.

She tucked her knees down, placing herself in a stance with her fists in front of her.

“Good form. Now, see if you can attack me,”

Cassidy resumed to being the one who always engages in the offensive first. Springing her heels toward you, she attempted to pull a punch—in the blink of an eye, the whole of your palm stopped the impact on wherever she was planning to hit you.

You pushed her away, deflecting her blow, and she restarted her stance. For every punch she threw, she was denied of landing it; in perfect balance, you bent down level to her waist and your leg literally swept her off of her feet.

“Throwing punches may feel thrilling, but if you’re going to be reckless like that first moment, it’s not going to work,”

“I’ll try again,” she declared, steeling her mental willpower and her demeanor.

Going back to your stance was your reply, you anticipated her attacks. This time, she opted to start with a kick and your forearm shielded you from the tip of her boot. When you swung her foot back to the ground, she hooked her left fist towards your cheek—a bold move, you thought, but it was nothing as you repeated the same deflection as the first time. Cassidy took you by surprise when she flung a kick against your side when you were busy blocking her punch with your arm.

You staggered at the impact, you dented the earth with your boots as you skidded and reset your footing to face her in the other direction. A small smirk curled along your lips—that meant that she’s impressed you with her last-minute tactic—and the fistfight continued.

“Good!” you exerted. “Keep making use of your advantages, Cassidy!”

Cassidy allowed the adrenaline to flow within her, dictate her movements, and be able to analyze the situation faster before you could retaliate. Punches and kicks land between mother and daughter. Flinging and trading fists, making sure that it doesn’t only cut through the wind.

Eventually, your eleven-year-old secured her win on this round when she delivered a kick on your knee and then to your abdomen. When the adrenaline had died down in her system, Cassidy’s clenched teeth loosened and the tension in her shoulders relaxed. She darted towards her mother’s side, assisting you to get back up on your feet.

“Oh… Oh no, Mom! Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, sweetie,” you grunted, managing a reassuring chuckle and taking her hand, you repeated. “It’s fine.”

“I’m so sorry, I… I don’t know what gotten into me,”

“A little adrenaline couldn’t hurt, Cassy,” you tussled her hair. You exhaled away the aches that her hits have delivered.

The arrival of a Corellian freighter called your attention, catching a glimpse of it on the trees’ canopy. The intrigued youngling darted out of the clearing to find it landing right in front of the base, opposite of where the Mantis idled.

“Wow, that’s a big piece of junk,”

“Now Cassidy, be nice,” Cal lightly scolded.

“Oh come on, Dad, you think so too, right?”

He sighed, bobbing his head left and right, “Okay, it’s not the best piece of work, really.”

“Knew it!” the child chuckled.

From afar, you spot the Princess exiting the ship, flanked by a pair of men, a Wookiee, a gold protocol droid, and a blue-and-white astromech.

“Well, it seems Her Highness has gotten herself stuck with an interesting band of misfits,” you commented within Cal’s earshot.

“Quite an interesting rescue team if you ask me,”

The family approached the group, appearing out of the clearing to greet the princess with the greatest esteem.

“Ah, Your Highness, this is Master and Lady Kestis,” the soldier introduces.

“Your Majesty,” husband and wife greeted and bowed in unison, to which the Princess immediately dismissed.

“Oh come now, there’s no need for formalities,” she beamed a smile with lips as red as roses.

Cassidy was still a tad shy towards newcomers, she hid behind Cal’s hip as she gazed at the mismatched group of misfits; she was mostly interested with the Wookiee and how tall it stood over everyone else, when the brown, hairy creature met eyes with her, she was startled and hid her face against her dad’s arm, but the Wookiee tilted his head slightly, mirroring the child’s gesture as she gradually peeked out of her father’s arm. When she sensed that the tall creature was harmless, she flashed a shy but friendly smile and the Wookiee groaned softly.

The same head engineer from Cal’s meeting beckoned him to join them inside the base.

“Lady Kestis, if you don’t mind, we would like to have your company in the council room as well,”

“Of course,” you turned to Cassidy. “Daddy and I will be back, okay? You go play wherever you like.”

“Okay, Mom,”

You kissed her forehead, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

She nodded and you let her free. You and Cal followed the head engineer and the Princess, boarding a cart separate from theirs on the way into the hangar. The Kestis couple sensed the urgency as they strode into the meeting room, while having the meeting, Cassidy had wandered off into the hangar—secretly following the newcomers and caught the eye of the boy with sandy brown hair.

“Hello there,” the nineteen-year-old spoke in a friendly tone and bent to her level. “What’s your name?”

“Cassidy,”

“What a pretty name. Well, Cassidy, I’m Luke! Nice to meet you,” he gladly extended his hand, offering her a handshake. She hesitated for a few seconds but took his hand with hers and they shook on it.

She didn’t notice it, but Luke’s friendly smile unconsciously dissolved as he felt something within the girl. It was similar to a feeling he had not too long ago. Even with his eyes opened, he suddenly reminisced a moment where he had his vision obscured and the sound of the lightsaber buzzing against projectiles rang fresh in his eardrums. He shook away the thought and managed a smile in front of Cassidy as he let go of her hand.

“Did you rescue her? The princess?”

“Yeah, I guess we did,”

“Are the bad guys coming here? Because I have a bad feeling about it,”

“Oh well, would you look at that—just when I thought _you_ were the youngest here, there’s one who beat you to it,” the other man, obviously taller than Luke, cuts in before he could give the boy a chance to reply.

The Wookiee grunted in reply.

“Don’t scare her off, Chewie,” the man blurted.

In reply, the Wookiee raised its voice on the man with the black vest, flailing its arm to emphasize whatever point it was making. While the three bickered, Cassidy turned her head to the freighter they came in with, she reminded herself of her father’s scolding and bit her tongue.

Moments later, all of the pilots started gravitating towards the room where the engineer had summoned them. Although he wasn’t a pilot yet, Luke decided to join in, but he politely excused himself in front of Cassidy before he went with the herd of orange jumpsuits. Amidst that gathering of pilots, Cassidy’s parents were also in that briefing, listening to the head engineer as he points at the blueprint of the plans they’ve recovered while giving instructions.

“So much for that far-range receiver,” Cal mumbled within your earshot.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance in making it,” you comforted as you listened.

“Using proton torpedoes, a precise shot into this small exhaust port found in this trench—it’s an opening so small, its width roughly measures about two meters—will cause a chain reaction into the oscillator, destroying it from the inside,” the head engineer explained.

Murmurs filled the room, heads turning left and right as doubt begins to fill the meeting room. You and Cal glance at the uneasy pilots, their collective inhibition was so loud that neither of you don’t need to sense it—because everyone else in the entire room did.

“That’s impossible!” a faceless voice, lost in the crowd of orange and white, stood out from the whispering.

“Then man your ships, and may the Force be with you all,” the engineer adjourned.

“Are you fighting with them?” that question had been suffocating you for the duration of the briefing.

“No, I don’t think I have the strength to leave my girls here,”

Relief washed over you as you smiled, Cal secretly slipped his hand to yours and intertwined fingers with you. The two of you watched the pilots disperse out of the room, some were confident, some were nervous—but if there was one thing they had in common: they’re ultimately anxious.

Cassidy eventually found Luke donning a starpilot’s jumpsuit. She watched the blue-and-white astromech droid being hoisted by a magnetic crane into the designated port on the exterior of the X-Wing.

“I hope they’ve calibrated and oiled your S-foils well,” Cassidy blurted. “It’s gonna be hard if it’s not fully locked in their attack position.”

“You sure know your starfighters,” Luke smiled, impressed.

“My dad used to be a scrapper, so he knows his stuff. Plus, he helps with the ships too!” Cassidy said proudly.

Luke replied an awkward but friendly laugh as he climbed the ladder onto the cockpit of his X-Wing.

“Hey Luke!”

“Yeah?”

“May the Force be with you!”

“May the Force be with you too, Cassidy!”

You beckoned Cassidy into the far side of the hangar, where the three of you watched all of the X-Wings wheel out of the hangar and take off to the skies—carrying the hope of the entire Rebel Alliance as a first step to battling the Empire.


End file.
